Just 18% Internet Users Know How To Report E-crimes

Internet usage is reaching a saturation point in India, but only around 18% of the population know how to report cybercrimes, a government survey released on Thursday indicated.

- Abhishek Jha

NEW DELHI:

Usage, driven by smartphones and mobile data, is higher for younger age groups. However, despite regular use (most respondents reported using the internet daily), even the young are poorly equipped for tasks related to education and work, like creating a document or a presentation, says the survey. On the bright side, the gender gap in mobile and internet use, other than in online transactions, is decreasing.

These trends are from the Comprehensive Modular Survey: Telecom (CMS: Telecom), conducted across 34,950 households in January-March 2025 by the National Statistics Office (NSO). NSO published the results of this survey on May 29. NSO had last collected data on mobile phone and internet use in a version of this survey—the Comprehensive Annual Modular Survey (CAMS)—conducted in July 2022-June 2023, which surveyed 3,02,086 households, and also asked questions on other subjects, such as education and financial inclusion. The 2022-23 round, however, did not ask some questions on ICT skills—such as the ability to make a presentation or report cybercrimes—that the 2025 round did.