Google.org, the philanthropic arm of Google, has announced a grant of US$ 4 million (approx INR 32 crores) to support a nationwide initiative led by the CyberPeace Foundation, a global non-profit advocating for cybersecurity. The initiative aims to empower over 40 million internet users across India, including underserved communities, with skills to combat misinformation and promote responsible online behavior.
The grant will support training programs and community engagement initiatives to equip internet users, including youth, women, rural communities, and the elderly, with the skills to identify and counter misinformation.
A multilingual online resource center will be established, offering 650 hours of free multimedia content in 15 Indian languages. The content will focus on identifying and countering misinformation, as well as developing responsible online content.
The initiative will set up helplines across states and regional clusters to identify and counter misinformation. Teams of experts in digital forensics, social media, and fact-checking will provide real-time support to contain the spread of cyber threats and misinformation campaigns.
Teams composed of experts will offer real-time support to stakeholders in the ecosystem, aiding in the identification and mitigation of new-age cyber threats and misinformation.
Vineet Kumar, Founder of CyberPeace Foundation: "Through this initiative, we’re committing to help Internet users across India become informed, empowered, and responsible netizens. We are extremely grateful to Google.org for propelling us forward in this mission with their grant support.”
