Kaspersky Reveals Kids Face Triple Risky Content on Smartphones, ChatGPT Enters Top Apps

Kaspersky Data Reveals Sharp Rise in Risky Content on Smartphones

Children in India encounter risky content on smartphones at rates nearly three times higher than on computers, according to Q1 2026 data from Kaspersky Safe Kids. Adult content accounted for 5.71% of children's activity on Android devices compared to just 1.91% on Windows, highlighting a significant gap in exposure to harmful material1

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. The gap points to smartphones as the less supervised device in most households, where children online safety measures often fall short.

Content related to alcohol, tobacco and narcotics remained consistent but small across both platforms at 0.26% on Android and 0.29% on Windows. Communication and media platforms dominated screen time, with Internet, Communication & Media claiming 43.44% of activity on Windows and 39.86% on Android. Software, Audio, Video followed closely at 34.99% and 34.89% respectively1

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AI Chatbots Enter Children's Daily App Usage

ChatGPT ranked seventh among the top 20 apps used by Indian children over a recent six-month period, capturing a 2.41% share of usage. This placed the AI chatbot ahead of Zoom, Roblox and Telegram, making it the only AI tool in the top 101

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. YouTube led with 30.68%, followed by WhatsApp at 29.14% and Instagram at 10.24%.

The trend mirrors global patterns tracked by Kaspersky, where AI-related apps and services climbed from sixth to third place in children's Google searches between May 2025 and April 2026. Children now turn to AI chatbots for homework help, quick answers and casual conversation, reshaping how they interact with technology daily.

Jaydeep Singh, General Manager for India at Kaspersky, noted that supervision tends to be lightest on smartphones where most of this activity occurs. "Children 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," he stated1

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Kaspersky and KidZania Launch Hands-On Cybersecurity Program

On October 7, Kaspersky and KidZania India hosted a Media Family Day at the Cyber Investigation Centre in Delhi NCR, near GIP Mall, Noida. The event brought families together for hands-on cybersecurity training through role-play scenarios that have been available to visitors since the Centre opened in April 20261

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Children aged six and above stepped into cyber investigator roles at dedicated workstations equipped with Kaspersky security software. They investigated simulated cases involving phishing and cyberbullying, identity theft and other online threats. Each 20-minute session accommodates up to six children, who receive a personalised Cyber Investigator card upon completion. The Centre operates at both KidZania India locations in Mumbai and Delhi NCR2

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Tarandeep Singh Sekhon, Chief Business Officer at KidZania India, emphasized that children learn best through experience rather than instruction. "Children become cyber investigators, solve real-life inspired cases and discover how to stay safer digital habits for kids through doing, rather than simply being told," he said1

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What Parents Should Watch For

Kaspersky advised parents to maintain open conversations about internet use at home and establish clear rules with children. The firm recommended using content filters and parental control tools on smartphones, where risky content on smartphones remains highest. Parents should teach children that AI-generated information can be incorrect and encourage them to verify chatbot answers, avoid sharing personal details with AI tools and steer clear of user-created bots that may carry unmoderated content2

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The shift toward AI chatbots and increased smartphone usage signals that cybersecurity for kids now requires teaching children to question digital sources actively rather than simply avoiding suspicious links. As online behavior evolves and misinformation spreads more easily through AI tools, building instincts for digital safety becomes critical for protecting children in environments where supervision remains inconsistent.