The Forum for Developing Communities has affiliated with the Human Rights Program at Bard College to work on key challenges related to the impact of tech platforms on society. This complex issue is a defining one for both the United States and India. The first collaboration between the two entities involves a particularly piquant harm: the massive prevalence of online scams.

The rapid expansion of Big Tech has fundamentally reshaped social connectivity, but it has also created a frictionless environment for exploitation. By prioritizing high-engagement growth and sophisticated ad-targeting, major platforms have inadvertently engineered the perfect infrastructure for digital fraud. These systems allow scammers to identify and target vulnerable populations with surgical precision, often bypassing traditional safety nets. Consequently, digital safety is no longer just a matter of individual “cyber-hygiene,” but a systemic crisis where the technical capabilities of platforms—meant to drive revenue—are weaponized against users. As the boundary between legitimate commerce and coordinated scams blurs, the erosion of trust in digital tools threatens societal cohesion.

Watch this space for our upcoming report on the prevalence and lack of response to online scams in India: