Google announces Safety Charter for Indian enterprises

Tech major Google on Tuesday launched its Safety Charter in India, its largest market outside the US, to enhance Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven fraud detection and scam prevention for enterprises as well as end-users in the country.

This initiative addresses the rising digital fraud in India, highlighted by an 85% year-on-year increase in UPI-related fraud, the company said at the "Safer with Google India Summit" held in New Delhi.

As part of this commitment, Google inaugurated a Security Engineering Center (GSec) in India, its fourth globally, to collaborate with local stakeholders on cybersecurity solutions and is partnering with the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) to raise cybercrime awareness.

Google is employing AI to proactively detect threats and share intelligence with companies and government bodies. Project Zero, in collaboration with DeepMind, pioneered the use of AI to identify previously unknown memory-safety flaws in software like SQLite.Google.org has pledged an additional $5 million to The Asia Foundation to establish 10 new cyber clinics and partner with Indian universities to train students and small businesses in digital safety.

A partnership with IIT-Madras will advance Post-Quantum Cryptography, enhancing the security of India’s digital systems against future cyber threats.

Preeti Lobana emphasised the importance of trust in the internet and digital infrastructure for India's growth, stating that safety is embedded in Google's design principles and AI systems. Heather Adkins called for broader ecosystem collaboration to shape a secure, AI-powered digital future.

Globally, Google is using AI to combat online scams, removing millions of ads and accounts. In India, Google plans to leverage AI more aggressively, with Google Messages already using AI to protect users from over 500 million suspicious messages monthly.

Google Pay has issued 41 million warnings against suspicious transactions, and Play Protect blocked nearly 60 million high-risk app installation attempts last year, impacting over 13 million devices.

Not just Google, global tech giants are demonstrating a growing commitment to bolstering cybersecurity and user safety in India, particularly with the rise of AI and the increasing sophistication of cyber threats.

For example, Microsoft chairman and CEO, Satya Nadella, said at Microsoft AI Tour in Bengaluru in January that the company would make a $3 billion investment in India for cloud and AI infrastructure over the next two years. It also shared a comprehensive plan to train and skill 10 million people by 2030, reinforcing its commitment to partnering with India on its journey to become an AI-first nation.

The Safer Internet India (SII) Coalition formed in February this year, uniting industry leaders like Airtel, Google, Meta, Microsoft, Truecaller, Vodafone Idea, and others, launched to combat cyber threats in India's booming digital landscape. This collaborative effort focuses on preventing online fraud, misinformation, and cybercrimes through information sharing, public awareness, and best practices.

Airtel employs an AI-powered security system to identify and block fraudulent websites across various platforms, including OTT, email, web browsers, and SMS. Its Security Operations Center (SOC) delivers threat intelligence, enabling proactive security measures across all assets. Airtel Business provides "Airtel Secure Internet," a solution combining threat intelligence, secure connectivity, and cloud-based security for businesses.

As India embraces GenAI and other emerging technologies, initiatives and coalitions like this are expected to promote ethical AI deployment, it said.