Wed Jan 01 16:48:14 UTC 2025: **India Enlists 54,800 Cyber Volunteers to Combat Online Crime**

NEW DELHI, January 1, 2025 – The Indian government has recruited over 54,800 citizen volunteers to help fight cybercrime, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ annual report for 2023-24. The initiative, launched in 2020 by the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), aims to leverage citizen participation in identifying and reporting unlawful online content.

The volunteers are categorized into three groups: those reporting unlawful content (22,942), awareness promoters (22,071), and cyber experts assisting law enforcement (9,819). Their roles include flagging content that violates Indian sovereignty, security, or public order, as well as child sexual abuse material.

While the program has successfully engaged a large volunteer base, and played a significant role in detecting cyberattacks during events such as the G20 summit, it has drawn criticism from the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), which expresses concern about potential increased surveillance and social distrust.

The I4C has also partnered with tech giants such as Google and Facebook to share intelligence and address the issue of cyber fraud, particularly highlighting the use of Google services for organized investment crimes. The I4C’s cyber crime portal receives a significant daily volume of complaints, averaging 67,000 calls, with security agencies identifying thousands of fraudulent accounts daily. Data from January to March 2024 revealed a high volume of cybercrime complaints related to platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. The program encourages citizens to register via http://www.cybercrime.gov.in to participate.

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