Google teaches kids to spot fake news, stay safe online
Gurugram, June 28: In a world with increasing cases of cyber bullying, fake news and other unsafe practices on the Internet, Google on Thursday concluded a summer educational programme that taught young children how to make use of the Internet in a productive way.
"Children are being exposed to technology much earlier than ever before and we believe that these foundational years are the best time to start nurturing their inquisitiveness and curiosity in the right direction," said Sunita Mohanty, Trust and Safe Director of Google India, while speaking at the final event of Google's #SummerWithGoogle campaign here.
"Children are a large part of the Internet user group and hence they need to be taught how to stay safe on the web to develop them into socially responsible digital citizens of the future," Mohanty added.
The campaign that ran for over four weeks, engaged children between 13 to 18 years of age in four online assignments that were designed to have both real world projects and a virtual learning experience.
"While completing their assignments, the kids were given tips and tricks about Internet safety, including what are the aspects of a strong password, how to identify spams or false news, how to make safe transaction among others," Mohanty told IANS.
"Children of today will become tomorrow's digital citizens and we definitely want them to be advocates of Internet safety and spread the word," she noted.
"The experience was amazing and we discovered a lot and I wish for Google to continue this campaign," Nikita Dey, 16, who had come to the event with her mother, told IANS.
Thousands of children from all over the country, including from lesser expected places like Jammu and Kashmir, Kottayam in Kerala, Jalgaon in Maharashtra and Kapurthala in Punjab, participated in the campaign.
Out of these, the best 100 were chosen to participate in the final event.
Google also collaborated with Smile Foundation -- a Delhi-based NGO to reach out to the children who do not have regular Internet exposure. The best 10 out of the group were present at the final event.
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Airlines got 999 hoax bomb threats till Nov 14 this year; 256 FIRs filed: Govt
New Delhi, Nov 28: Airlines received 999 hoax bomb threats this year till November 14 and as many as 256 FIRs have been filed while guidelines have been issued by aviation security regulator BCAS for objective assessment of threats, the government said on Thursday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said a total of 1,148 hoax bomb threat messages/calls have been received since August 2022 till November 14, 2024 threatening the operations of international and domestic air travel.
While 999 threats were received by airlines during the period from January to November 14, 2024, the count stood at 122 last year and at 27 for the August-December 2022 period.
"256 FIRs have been filed since January 2024 till 14 November 2024, out of which 163 FIRs have been filed during 14 October- 14 November 2024. 12 arrests have been made in view of hoax bomb threat since January 2024 till 14 November 2024," the minister said.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has issued guidelines for objective assessment of threats. The indicative factor has been useful in reducing time taken by the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) during the decision-making process.
"Also, to reduce the overall time taken for convening BTAC to less than 5 minutes, virtual assembly of BTAC through pre-generated video link has been set up. Further, advisories for compulsory 10 per cent of secondary ladder point check-in for all flights, strict monitoring of non-scheduled flight operations, enhanced security measures and surveillance at cargo terminals were issued," Mohol said.
Further, the minister said the government is considering amending the Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023 to put hoax threat messenger in the no-fly list.
"It is also being considered to amend Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation for covering Aircraft in flight as well as on ground, airport etc," he added.
