Google Announces New Digital Safety Measures for India, Allocates $2 Million Grant for Outreach Programs

Google announced a numbers of online safety measures in India on Thursday. The initiatives, as announced by Google India's Vice President and Country Head, Sanjay Gupta, aims at building a safer internet for everyone against cyber threats amid India's growing digital economy. The company introduced four key imperatives for the Indian users to prioritise cybersecurity skilling, invest in user awareness, and support local community organisations for digital safety training. Google India also announced grants worth $2 million (nearly Rs. 16 crore) from Google.org to non-profit organisations in India for enhanced digital safety.

In an official blog post, Gupta announced several initiatives taken at Google for India's digital space. The company will conduct cybersecurity roadshows in various cities to upskill around 1 lakh developers. The roadshows “will share unique tools, detailed guidance, and best practices,” enabling the developers to create safer apps with embedded security in line with modern IT practices.

The company also announced $2 million (nearly Rs. 16 crore) grant to support non-profit work in online safety, especially for high-risk communities like women, LGBTQIA+, and seniors. The non-profits will be tailoring outreach programs for these communities in their preferred languages. The content and resources will be available in English and multiple Indian languages.

The organisations that will join Google to receive funding will include Collective Good Foundation (CGF), Point of View, HelpAge India and Sheroes.

Google has also announced the launch of ProtectingChildren.Google website in three Indian languages — Bengali, Hindi, and Tamil — to provide child safety toolkit. The website fights abusive content, making the digital space safe for children.