The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has proposed draft rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, requiring parental consent for children under 18 to open social media accounts. Parents or guardians will need to provide verifiable consent, authenticated through government-issued IDs or digital tokens linked to Digital Lockers. The rules also include exemptions for educational institutions and child welfare organizations to minimize operational challenges while addressing children’s needs.
The draft rules emphasize enhanced data protection measures, granting users the right to request data deletion and transparency about data usage. Non-compliance by entities, particularly digital intermediaries like social media platforms and online gaming companies, could result in penalties of up to Rs 250 crore. Social media intermediaries are defined as platforms facilitating user interactions and information sharing, with specific guidelines tailored to their operations.
To oversee compliance, the government will establish a fully digital Data Protection Board to investigate breaches, impose penalties, and register consent managers responsible for managing data permissions. Consent managers must meet a minimum net worth of Rs 12 crore. Public feedback on the draft rules is invited via MyGov.in until February 18, 2025, with suggestions to be reviewed before final implementation.
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