MeitY collaborates with Google for online safety campaign

Google on Thursday announced that it has partnered with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to enhance the ministry’s “Stay Safe Online” campaign, utilising various initiatives such as literacy programmes, multilingual digital content, and educational resources to promote cyber safety and responsible online behaviour.

“Tech-enabled development is a key focus area of India’s G20 Presidency. To enable this development and strengthen India’s efforts to become a trillion-dollar digital economy, MeitY is running a large-scale campaign called “Stay Safe Online.” This comprehensive campaign aims to raise awareness among citizens and promote cyber hygiene, sensitising users of all ages and backgrounds about online risks and safety measures, as well as responsible use of online platforms,” the tech giant said in a statement.

As part of its commitment to online safety, Google will collaborate with the ministry to enhance user awareness of cyber fraud. This effort will include educating people about common types of online scams and promoting best practices to safeguard against them.

To promote digital literacy and essential online skills for children, Google will utilise the Be Internet Awesome programme to raise awareness of online safety fundamentals. This initiative will provide helpful content covering a wide range of online safety topics, such as how to be smart, alert, strong, kind, and brave on the internet. The content will be accessible through the Google Safety Centre, which is available in eight Indian languages and is dedicated to educating and empowering users on the importance of digital safety.

Google also added that it will share valuable tips and resources on staying safe online, including reminders about secure digital transactions and the importance of password protection and two-step verification for online accounts.

YouTube has established the “Hit Pause” digital literacy programme which aims to promote critical thinking about online information. Building on that, Google will collaborate with MeitY to launch a series of educational videos featuring YouTube creators, which will help individuals evaluate information effectively, identify misinformation, and responsibly share information online.

The series is said to focus on specific skills, such as verifying the credentials of a source, understanding motivations, corroborating content with subject-matter experts, and gathering cited and verifiable evidence.

Last year, in collaboration with MeitY, the company launched the Safer with Google initiative to protect people from online harm. This initiative included a pan-India cybersecurity roadshow to enhance cybersecurity capabilities for developers and start-ups, as well as the Raho Do Kadam Aage user awareness programme on financial fraud, in partnership with leading banks. CNBCTV18