Google introduces new AI safety tools on its devices in India to protect users from online scams

Online scams have been increasing day by day, with threat actors coming up with ideas like screen-sharing fraud, digital arrest, fake bank representatives and more. To protect the vulnerable audience from such scams, Google has introduced some new AI safety tools for its devices in India.

Safety is the infrastructure for transformational AI. We're powering our devices with AI which give us an unprecedented advantage over bad actors, maintain user trust & foster economic growth. The path to equitable AI for the entire Global South will be led from India 🇮🇳

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— Google India (@GoogleIndia) November 20, 2025

Updates to on-product protection

• Real-Time Scam Detection on phone calls: Scam Detection, powered by Gemini Nano and rolling out on Pixel phones, analyses calls in real time and flags potential scams entirely on-device, without recording audio or transcripts or sending data to Google. The feature is off by default, applies only to calls from unknown numbers (not saved contacts), plays a beep to notify participants, and can be turned off by the user at any time.
• Protection for financial apps: Devices running Android 11+ now show a prominent alert if a user opens one of these apps while screen sharing on a call with an unknown contact. This feature provides a one-tap option to end the call and stop screen sharing, protecting users from potential fraud. This feature arrives in collaboration with financial apps Google Pay, Navi, and PayTm.
• Google Play Protect has successfully blocked over 115 million attempts to install sideloaded apps that use sensitive permissions that are frequently abused for financial fraud in India. This is complemented by Google Pay’s system, which displays over 1 million warnings weekly for fraudulent transactions.
• System Protection: Enhanced Phone Number Verification (ePNV), a new Android-based security protocol that replaces SMS OTP flows with a secure, consented, SIM-based check to raise the floor for sign-in security.
• SynthID Partnerships: Early access to SynthID Detector and API, Google’s watermarking technology to identify synthetically-generated content, to strategic partners including academia, researchers, and publishers such as Jagran, PTI, and India Today, among others.

Making Cybersecurity and Privacy more resilient and accessible

• Self-Defending Systems: CodeMender is being launched. CodeMender is a new code security agent that identifies zero-day vulnerabilities in code and patches them autonomously.
• Google for Startups is helping to build secure AI Agents through initiatives like AI Agent Masterclass with IntelligentAgents and Agentic AI Roadshows with Nasscom that aim to train & equip ~500 early-stage startups across India for building Agentic AI solutions for their use cases. The models are trained on Secure AI Framework (SAIF) 2.0.
• Privacy-Enhancing Technologies (PETs): Google is continuing to make industry-leading investments in privacy technologies to power more secure, private, and personalized experiences.

Age-appropriate digital literacy tools

The flagship program LEO (Learn and Explore Online) to India in December 2025. It trains teachers, practitioners and parents, building foundational knowledge on how to use Google’s parental tools and create age-appropriate online experiences.

The Super Searchers program is now actively expanding to better equip vulnerable user groups, including low-income communities, women, and seniors, ensuring everyone can evaluate and find trustworthy information.

The company has now introduced the latest Be Scam Ready game, based on inoculation theory. This interactive game immerses users in real-life fraud scenarios in a safe setting, helping them develop the critical thinking skills needed to avoid scams in the real world.

Through the APAC Digital Futures Fund, Google.org is providing $1 million to 5 leading think tanks and universities across APAC to conduct essential research and foster meaningful dialogue on the opportunities and challenges of AI. In India, the CyberPeace Foundation will receive $200,000 to support capacity building and deliver AI-driven cyber-defense tools to fight fraud and scams, deepfakes to create safer digital learning environments for children and teens, and strengthen responsible governance aligned with the IndiaAI Mission.

Ecosystem Partnerships

Google is working with regulators, academia, and civil society groups to improve online safety and AI governance.

The company is formalizing a strategic expansion for AI safety and governance standards with IIT Madras and CeRAI in the following critical areas:

• First, Google is working with ML Commons and CeRAI to develop the Hindi-language AILuminate Safety Benchmark, so that AI safety evaluation is accessible and relevant across languages..
• Second, through its Amplify Initiative, Google will join CeRAI in contributing to the AI Safety Commons under the auspices of the Safe and Trusted AI working group of the AI Impact Summit to build robust and diverse datasets.
• Third, Google is partnering with CeRAI on the Secure AI Framework. CeRAI will be evangelizing the usage of the framework through industry events and training at IIT Madras.

As mentioned in the blog post, the path to equitable AI for the entire Global South will be led from India itself.