Kaspersky and KidZania bring families into hands-on cyber investigations as data highlights rising AI chatbot use, greater smartphone exposure to risky content, and the need for practical cyber safety education among Indian children and families.
Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity and digital privacy company, and KidZania India hosted a Media Family Day at the Kaspersky Cyber Investigation Centre at KidZania Delhi NCR, near GIP Mall, Noida. The event brought parents and children together to participate in the cybersecurity role-play experience available to visitors since the Centre opened in April 2026. The initiative focused on how children’s online behaviour is evolving in India and how cyber awareness can be developed through practical experiences.
Smartphones emerge as a key exposure point
According to anonymised data from Indian users of Kaspersky Safe Kids for Q1 2026, communication and media platforms account for a significant share of children’s online activity. On Windows devices, Internet, Communication & Media was the most-visited category at 43.44%, followed by Software, Audio, Video at 34.99%. Android showed a similar pattern, with 39.86% and 34.89%, respectively.
However, the data also highlights a notable difference in exposure to risky content. Adult content accounted for 5.71% of children’s activity on Android, nearly three times its 1.91% share on Windows. Alcohol, tobacco and narcotics-related content remained relatively small but consistent across both platforms, at 0.26% on Android and 0.29% on Windows.
The findings point to smartphones as an important area of concern, particularly as they are often less supervised than computers. At the same time, children’s app usage is increasingly reflecting the growing presence of artificial intelligence in their daily digital lives.
AI chatbots enter children’s app habits
Kaspersky Safe Kids data covering app usage in India over a recent six-month period placed ChatGPT seventh among the Top 20 apps used by children, with a 2.41% share. It ranked ahead of Zoom, Roblox and Telegram, while YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram accounted for 30.68%, 29.14% and 10.24%, respectively. ChatGPT was the only AI chatbot in the Top 10.
The trend is also reflected in Kaspersky’s global findings, which showed AI-related apps and services moving from sixth to third place in children’s Google searches worldwide between May 2025 and April 2026.
Commenting on the findings, Jaydeep Singh, General Manager for India at Kaspersky, said, “Children in India are now turning to AI chatbots for homework, quick answers and even conversation, alongside the messaging and video apps they have used for years, and most of this is happening on smartphones, where supervision tends to be lightest. That changes what cyber awareness needs to look like. It is no longer enough to tell a child not to click a suspicious link. They also need to learn to question what a chatbot tells them, to recognise when a message is designed to manipulate them, and to know when to ask an adult for help.”
“Today was about letting parents see that learning happen first-hand. When a child works through a phishing case at the Cyber Investigation Centre and then explains it to their parents, it shows why hands-on learning stays with them in a way a warning does not. That is what we set out to build with KidZania: an instinct for online safety that children carry back to the devices they use every day,” he added.
Children take on cyber investigator roles
The Media Family Day began with a welcome address by Jaydeep Singh, followed by an overview of the Kaspersky-KidZania partnership. Families then participated in a guided KidZania experience that included the Cyber Investigation Centre, followed by an interaction and Q&A with the Kaspersky team.
At the Centre, children aged six and above take on the role of cyber investigators. They work at dedicated stations equipped with Kaspersky security software and investigate simulated cases involving phishing, identity theft and cyberbullying. The experience is designed to help children identify online threats, practise safer browsing and respond to realistic cybersecurity scenarios.
Each 20-minute session can accommodate up to six children, with participants receiving a personalised Cyber Investigator card after completing their mission. The Centre operates at both KidZania India locations in Mumbai and Delhi NCR.
Speaking at the event, Tarandeep Singh Sekhon, Chief Business Officer, KidZania India, said, “At KidZania, we believe children learn best when they get to experience the real world for themselves. And today, the real world also includes the digital world. The Kaspersky Cyber Investigation Centre brings this reality into KidZania in a very engaging way — children become cyber investigators, solve real-life inspired cases and discover how to stay safer online through doing, rather than simply being told.
The Kaspersky team has done a brilliant job of taking what can be a complex subject and turning it into an experience that is simple, immersive and genuinely fun for children. We see them walking out excited about the cases they have cracked and often talking about them with their parents. For us, that is the real power of this partnership — making an important life skill something children can experience, understand and remember.”
Kaspersky outlines practical steps for parents
Kaspersky has also recommended that parents keep regular conversations open with children about their online activities and establish clear ground rules. It advises families to give smartphones the same attention as computers by using content filters and parental controls.
The company also recommends teaching children that AI-generated answers can be incorrect, encouraging them to verify chatbot responses and avoid sharing personal information with AI tools. Parents should also help children recognise phishing and other manipulation tactics, including unexpected links, prize offers and urgent requests received through messaging apps, games or email.
Kaspersky further advises parents to review privacy and safety settings regularly as children’s app usage changes. As part of its partnership with KidZania, the company is offering a package that includes a 30-day free trial, up to 40% off on Premium protection and a complimentary one-year Safe Kids subscription worth INR 1,439.
