Searches related to privacy and data breaches on Google grew by more than 20 percent in 2021, across places as diverse as Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, and Singapore, the company informed on Monday.
Over the past two years, millions of people throughout Asia-Pacific have started using the Internet for the first time, lifting the region’s online population to more than 2.5 billion.
“As we mark Safer Internet Day on February 8, we’re focused on the ways Google can help protect people in Asia-Pacific as they go about more of their lives and work online,” said Scott Beaumont, President, the Asia Pacific at Google.
He said that Google’s responsibility for Internet safety goes beyond its own tools and technology.
ALSO READ: Google One VPN is now available on iPhones
“Keeping people online is a shared challenge, not something that anyone organization can do alone. One of the most powerful ways we can help protect people is by equipping them with the skills and knowledge to navigate the Internet safely,” he stressed.
This year, through Google.org which is its philanthropic arm, the company is supporting non-profit organizations in Asia-Pacific with approximately $5 million in grant funding to raise awareness about security and media literacy and promote positive online habits among underserved communities.
ALSO READ: After cryptocurrencies, money laundering via NFTs next big worry (Lead)
This builds on the more than $11 million that Google.org has committed to digital responsibility initiatives over the past five years.
“Organisations Google.org has supported include Maarif Institute — whose Tular Nalar program with MAFINDO and Love Frankie is helping educators and young people in Indonesia become more media-literate — and Internews in India, whose FactShala initiative with Data Leads is helping people evaluate online information critically,” said Beaumont.
Google engineers and other experts, many based in Asia-Pacific, have also developed Security Checkup and Privacy Checkup tools, which people can use to strengthen their security and privacy settings.
(This story has been sourced from a third-party syndicated feed, agencies. Raavi Media accepts no responsibility or liability for the dependability, trustworthiness, reliability, and data of the text. Raavi Media management/ythisnews.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content at its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.)
