Google to launch online safety campaign for consumers

In a bid to raise awareness about online safety, Google India has partnered Ministry of Consumer Affairs for rolling out a nationwide 'Digitally Safe Consumer' campaign. Google, along with Department of Consumer Affairs, will undertake a year-long campaign focussed on building capacities of consumer organisations, personnel of Consumer Affairs department and counsellors of National Consumer Helpline on Internet safety and related issues.

"With the rapid increase in digitisation across all spheres, the message of internet safety needs to be integrated into the everyday tasks that the consumer undertakes online," Google India Country head (Public Policy) Chetan Krishnaswamy said in a statement. This initiative will add to Google's existing campaigns guiding users to navigate the web and manage their digital lives safely and leverage the web to the fullest, he added.

In order to provide training and information on online safety tools, Google with the help of partner agencies will work towards advocating digital security and privacy needs through workshops training about 500 people, including 250 consumer organisations across the country. These trainers will further engage with the local community to spread awareness around the need for internet safety.

The campaign, which is expected to roll out in January, 2017, will reach out with training materials to over 1,200 consumer organisations as well as consumer affairs department of every state and union territories.