New Delhi – Google on Tuesday unveiled a major new initiative aimed at making India’s digital landscape safer through the launch of its ‘Safety Charter’ at the ‘Safer with Google India Summit’.
The charter focuses on three main goals: protecting users from online fraud, enhancing cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, and ensuring the responsible development of AI.
A cornerstone of the initiative is Google’s ‘Digikavach’ programme, which has already reached over 177 million Indians. The programme uses AI-driven tools and public awareness campaigns to combat financial scams.
AI is playing a significant role in bolstering Google’s security systems. Its Search now detects 20 times more scam websites than before, while scam attempts targeting customer service and government platforms have decreased by 80% and 70%, respectively.
On the messaging front, Google Messages blocks over 500 million scam texts every month.
Google Pay, one of India’s most widely used digital payment platforms, has issued over 41 million fraud alerts to users and prevented scams worth ₹13,000 crore in 2024 alone.
Google’s Play Protect system, which safeguards app installations, has blocked nearly 60 million risky apps on 13 million devices since it was piloted in India in October 2024.
Gmail continues to protect users globally by automatically blocking over 99.9% of spam, phishing, and malware attempts.
To tackle cybersecurity challenges on a broader scale, Google has introduced a new AI-driven system that detects threats early and shares intelligence with other companies and government agencies.
Its Project Zero team, in collaboration with DeepMind, has used AI to identify vulnerabilities in widely used software like SQLite before they can be exploited by attackers.
As part of its wider commitment, Google.org has pledged $20 million to expand the Asia-Pacific Cybersecurity Fund, including $5 million for The Asia Foundation. This funding will help launch 10 new cyber clinics in the region and support Indian universities in training students and small businesses in digital safety.
Google also announced a new partnership with IIT Madras to advance Post-Quantum Cryptography research, aimed at protecting digital systems from future cyber threats.
Preeti Lobana, Vice President and Country Manager of Google India, emphasized that safety is a foundational principle in their technology. She stressed that building trust in India’s digital infrastructure is essential for the nation’s growth.
Heather Adkins, Google’s Vice President of Engineering for Security, noted that as online threats evolve rapidly, AI’s ability to learn and act at scale gives defenders a powerful edge against attackers.
With inputs from IANS