Meta and the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA), announced a new collaboration to empower consumers through digital literacy initiatives under the government’s flagship ‘Jago Grahak Jago’ program. The joint campaign ‘Be an Empowered Consumer’ seeks to educate Indians on recognising online threats and promoting healthy online habits, including the use of strong passwords, verification of online information, and reporting suspicious activity. This was announced during the meeting between the Honourable Union Minister for the Department of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Prahlad Joshi, and Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer, Meta.
The Honourable Minister was also updated about a joint project commissioned with IIT Bombay by the chair established by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) at the National Law School of India University Bangalore, and supported by Meta. This collaboration aims to develop an AI-driven citizen-centric chatbot, leveraging Meta’s large language model, Llama 2. The chatbot will enhance access to consumer rights information, a robust grievance redressal tool that will help individuals file complaints and resolve queries more efficiently. The chatbot is now ready for closed group beta testing and will be officially launched and integrated into DoCA’s website after testing is complete.
Speaking at the launch of the partnership, Shri Prahlad Joshi, Minister for Consumer Affairs, said, “We are pleased to partner with Meta on this crucial initiative to equip citizens with the knowledge and tools that will enable them to navigate the digital landscape and protect themselves online. Consumer awareness is key to a sustainable and secure digital experience and the campaign will strengthen consumer protection measures and reinforce our commitment to empowering Indian consumers.
Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer, Meta added, “With technology progressing so quickly, it can be hard for people to stay up to date with the best ways to keep themselves safe online, which is why we’re pleased to work with the Department of Consumer Affairs and contribute to India’s digital consumer protection efforts. At Meta, we think AI can help people protect themselves and be informed online consumers. By making AI more accessible, we hope to improve consumer awareness, streamline redressal processes, and equip people with the knowledge they need to make informed choices online.”
The two-pronged approach – leveraging AI for consumer grievance redressal and enhancing digital literacy marks a significant step in strengthening consumer rights in India. This partnership builds on the previous engagement whereby in 2023, Meta had announced a partnership with the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, IIT Bombay, and the Department of Consumer Affairs, to leverage Meta’s cutting-edge large language model (Llama 2) for developing innovative legal applications prioritising citizen-centric solutions.
