India and Meta launch digital consumer awareness campaign

On Tuesday, India’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs announced a new partnership with Meta. They will launch a campaign called "Be an Empowered Consumer." The goal is to help people understand and navigate the digital world safely. Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi and Meta's Chief Global Affairs Officer Joel Kaplan introduced the initiative. It will be a part of the Ministry’s ongoing "Jago Grahak Jago" campaign, which encourages consumer awareness. Joshi stated that increasing consumer knowledge is essential for a safe digital experience, especially in rural areas. The campaign will teach Indians how to identify online threats and improve their online safety. This includes advice on creating strong passwords, checking information online, and reporting suspicious activity. Additionally, a new AI project named "GrahakNyay" was announced. Created with IIT Bombay's help and backed by Meta, this chatbot aims to educate users about their consumer rights and simplify the complaints process. Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare emphasized that the chatbot will make filing complaints easier and quicker. Kaplan added that AI can help people stay safe and make informed choices online. This initiative comes as India works to tackle issues like misleading ads and unfair practices in the growing digital marketplace.