Most earlier solutions like using Aadhaar, Digi-Locker, or a one-time electronic token to verify children's ages and confirm their relationship with the consenting guardian have been deemed "unfeasible”
With Aadhaar, the primary issue is establishing the relationship between a child and the parent
Proposals such as the use of Digi-Locker or a one-time electronic token do not work well with the fast-paced technological changes
The government will reportedly meet tech executives, startups and industry bodies this week to discuss verifying children’s ages and getting parental consent under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.
According to a senior government official, most earlier solutions like using Aadhaar, Digi-Locker, or a one-time electronic token to verify children’s ages and confirm their relationship with the consenting guardian have been deemed “unfeasible”, ET reported.
With Aadhaar, the primary issue is establishing the relationship between a child and the parent. In several cases, the data is not updated to reflect the latest changes, such as address updates or the passing away of a parent, the official added.
Proposals such as the use of Digi-Locker or a one-time electronic token do not work well with the fast-paced technological changes, especially when it comes to age verification on social media and personal communication platforms, another official was quoted as saying in the report.
The DPDP Act defines users below the age of 18 as children and mandates that social media or internet intermediaries, known as data fiduciaries, must not process any data of any child without explicit parental consent.
It was reported earlier 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.
The provision faced resistance from industry executives concerned about the privacy implications of the tools used to establish children’s age and parental connection.
Last year in November, in response to incidents of children encountering online predators on social media, the government reportedly devised a strategy. This aimed to offer social media and internet intermediaries multiple options to enforce age-gating and effectively manage parental consent.
The DPDP Act became law after being passed in the Lok Sabha and in the Rajya Sabha last year. President Droupadi Murmu gave her consent to the Bill on August 11, 2023.
The DPDP Bill directs setting up a Data Protection Board of India to ensure its implementation. In case of any personal data breach, the board will be responsible for looking into the matter, inquiring into the breach, and imposing penalties.
