Centre Likely To Release Final Draft Of DPDP For Public Review In Weeks

The central government has reportedly finalised the draft rules for the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act 2023 and plans to release them for public consultation in the second or third week of August.

As per an ET report, the rules are anticipated to be notified after the current parliamentary session concludes.

“We will have extensive consultations for the rules. Our approach has been very measured and we have kept the text (of the rules) very simple. The idea is not to disrupt anything,” a senior government official told ET.

The DPDP Act classifies users under 18 as children and mandates social media or internet intermediaries, known as data fiduciaries, to obtain explicit parental consent before processing any data from children.

An official mentioned that the final DPDP Act rules “will stay within the walls of the law as passed by the Parliament.” The government aims to ensure the Act provides a robust mechanism for citizens to safeguard their privacy without becoming a place for “frivolous” complaints. The official noted that clear responsibilities would be imposed on how a person can file a complaint.

Another government official added, “Only the issue of age and parental consent verification remains. We had a meeting with experts and industry stakeholders about a fortnight ago. Some of them have sent their solutions to us. We are looking at all the options right now.”

This comes days after the government announced plans to meet with tech executives, startups, and industry bodies to discuss verifying children’s ages and obtaining parental consent under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.

Earlier, it was reported that social media platforms are exploring methods like QR codes, virtual Aadhaar IDs, or age verification at the app store level to comply with the DPDP Act of 2023. However, this provision encountered pushback from industry executives who were concerned about the privacy implications associated with these tools for establishing children’s ages and verifying parental connections.

In response to incidents of children encountering online predators on social media, the government reportedly developed a strategy, last November. This strategy was designed to provide social media and internet intermediaries with various options for enforcing age restrictions and managing parental consent effectively.

The DPDP Act was enacted after being approved by both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha last year. President Droupadi Murmu granted her assent to the Bill on August 11, 2023.