Feedback Deadline On DPDP Rules Extended To March 5

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has extended the feedback deadline on the draft ‘Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025’ (DPDP Rules). 

Initially set for February 18, 2025, the consultation period has now been extended until March 5, 2025.

This extension comes after multiple representations from various sectors requested additional time to review the draft in detail and provide comprehensive feedback.

“In response to the representations received from several stakeholders, the ministry has decided to extend the last date for receipt of feedback/comments till 5th March 2025,” MeitY said in a notification. 

The draft DPDP Rules were first made public on January 3, 2025, with MeitY calling for comments and suggestions from industry leaders, digital rights advocates, startups, and other stakeholders. 

The government released the draft DPDP Rules on January 3, laying out the tentative terms of implementing the DPDP Act, which was passed in Parliament in 2023.

The rules, when finalised and notified, will provide the teeth to the DPDP Act notified in the gazette on August 12, 2023.

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

The draft rules mandate that digital platforms process a child’s data only with verifiable parental or guardian consent, which can be confirmed using voluntarily provided identity details or a virtual token issued by an authorised entity.

MeitY has proposed that all data fiduciaries implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure compliance before processing any personal data of a child.

Last month, founders of companies like MobiKwik, OYO, ixigo, and Razorpay met with officials to discuss concerns over proposed rules, including cross-border data sharing and overlapping regulations. Some experts have criticised the government’s focus on data handlers for privacy issues. 

Last month, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the DPDP rules will be refined further to protect children from the dangers posed by the digital space.