“Parental Consent Mandatory for Minors’ Social Media Accounts Under Draft Rules of Digital Personal Data Protection Act”
The Central Government, under the draft rules of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, has proposed that children under 18 years of age will now require parental consent to open social media accounts. Released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) on Friday, the draft rules aim to bolster safeguards for minors’ personal data and individuals with disabilities under lawful guardianship.
The rules mandate that data fiduciaries, entities responsible for handling personal data, must verify parental or guardian consent through government-issued IDs or digital identity tokens, such as those linked to Digital Lockers. Educational institutions and child welfare organisations may be exempt from certain provisions.
Public objections and suggestions on these draft rules can be submitted through MyGov.in until February 18, 2025. The draft also introduces broader consumer rights, enabling users to demand data deletion and greater transparency regarding data collection and usage. Non-compliance could result in penalties of up to Rs 250 crore, ensuring stricter accountability for data fiduciaries.