January 4, 2025 - The draft regulations for the Digital Personal Data Protection Act have finally been released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) after over a year since the Act was approved by Parliament in August 2023.

The Central Government is planning on making parental consent mandatory for children to open social media accounts. According to the new draft of data protection law, companies will need to obtain parental approval before using children’s data. If the new proposal is approved, companies will not be able to use or store children’s data until parental consent is obtained.

This draft is part of the Digital Data Protection Act, 2023. It outlines the processes regarding individuals' consent, the operations of data-using companies and authorities. The draft does not mention the specific penalties for violations of the rules. However, under the Act, companies that misuse data could face fines of up to Rs 250 crore.

Data fiduciaries are required by the draft regulations to take measures to guarantee that parental consent is confirmed prior to processing children's data. Government-issued identification documents or digital tokens linked to identity services like Digital Lockers can be used for this. Additionally, the government plans to exempt child welfare groups and educational establishments from these specific rules.

The government has asked the public to submit suggestions and objections on the MyGov website by February 18, 2025.

With Media Inputs