Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, has pledged a $4 million grant (approximately 32 crore rupees) to help equip internet users in India with the skills to navigate misinformation and practice responsible online behavior. The CyberPeace Foundation, a non-profit cybersecurity advocacy group based in India, will manage a nationwide awareness and capacity-building program using the grant. This initiative aims to reach more than 40 million internet users across India, including underserved groups like youth, women, rural communities, and the elderly, by providing training and community engagement activities.
The focus of the initiative is to foster informed, empowered, and responsible online behavior among Indian internet users. Activities will include fact-checking before sharing information and refraining from spreading unverified news. CyberPeace Foundation’s founder, Vineet Kumar, emphasized the importance of developing a safe and inclusive online space for all.
The grant will also support the development of a multilingual online resource center featuring 650 hours of free multimedia content and educational materials to help users identify and counter misinformation while creating responsible online content. Content will be available in English and 15 Indian languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, Odia, Malayalam, Punjabi, Assamese, Maithili, Santali, and Kashmiri.
The resource center will establish helplines in various states and regional clusters to identify and counter misinformation, providing real-time support from experts in digital forensics, social media, and fact-checking to contain the impact of contemporary cyber threats and misinformation campaigns.
Annie Lewin, Senior Director of Global Advocacy and Head of Asia Pacific at Google.org, stated that the grant to the CyberPeace Foundation reflects Google’s commitment to empowering first-time internet users to navigate the digital world with confidence.
The content created and disseminated through this initiative will be based on extensive field and secondary research aimed at promoting responsible content creation and effectively countering misinformation and online threats.
