Latest news with #DigiKavach
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Business Standard
7 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Google unveils Safety Charter to boost user security and prevent fraud
Google India on Tuesday announced the launch of a Safety Charter, a broad framework aimed at improving user safety online by blending artificial intelligence into cybersecurity. The Safety Charter, the company said, would focus on three aspects — protecting users from online fraud, strengthening enterprise and government cybersecurity, and embedding responsible AI into platform design and deployment. 'Building AI responsibly, an AI that works safely and ethically, is the goal,' said Heather Adkins, Vice President of Security Engineering and the Cybersecurity Resilience Officer at Google. 'Cybersecurity is not just about the elimination of malpractices and other scams, but also about enabling trust within users, to try and use cyberspace with safety in mind,' said Preeti Lobana, Vice President and Country Manager at Google India. This new Charter builds on DigiKavach, an India-first initiative launched in October 2023. Focused on real-time fraud detection, DigiKavach partnered with agencies like the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Sector (I4C) and civil society groups including CyberPeace Foundation and FACT to protect users from digital financial scams. In just one year, DigiKavach and Google's AI-led systems blocked over ₹13,000 crore in fraud attempts, flagged 20 times more scam domains and prevented 60 million high-risk app installs across 13 million devices, the company said in a presentation during the launch of the Safety Charter. Google Messages intercepted over 500 million scam texts monthly. The programme reached 177 million people through scam alerts and safety content in multiple languages, Google said.
Mint
10 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Google flags over 500 million scam messages monthly as cybercrime soars in India
Google has introduced its Safety Charter for India, outlining how it is deploying artificial intelligence (AI) to tackle a surge in cybercrime across the country. The announcement comes as India's digital economy continues to expand, prompting growing concerns around user safety and online fraud. In a blog post, the US-based technology firm revealed that it is integrating AI tools across its services to detect, prevent, and remove security threats in both consumer and enterprise products. The move also includes wider collaborations with government initiatives to enhance cyber awareness and protection. You may be interested in Citing a recent report, Google stated that Unified Payments Interface (UPI) related frauds led to losses exceeding ₹ 1,087 crore in 2024. Total financial damages attributed to cybercrime in India were estimated to reach ₹ 20,000 crore in 2025. The company warned that cybercriminals are increasingly using advanced AI tools to perpetrate scams, including deepfakes, voice cloning, and fabricated digital content. In response, Google said it is integrating its internal security frameworks with the government's DigiKavach programme and has partnered with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to roll out public awareness campaigns in a phased manner. As part of its enforcement measures, Google claimed to have removed 247 million advertisements and suspended 2.9 million accounts for policy violations. These efforts include compliance with local and national regulations. In its search engine operations, Google said AI is being used to block around 20 times more fraudulent webpages before they reach users. The company also reported a significant decline in fake websites mimicking customer support services and government portals, down by over 80 per cent and 70 per cent respectively. Google Messages has incorporated a new AI-based scam detection tool, which the company claims is flagging more than 500 million suspicious messages monthly. It also issues alerts when users interact with links from unknown senders, with over 2.5 billion warnings triggered to date. The Safety Charter forms part of Google's broader strategy to confront evolving digital threats, particularly as malicious actors leverage emerging technologies to bypass traditional defences.
