Processing Children's Data Under DPDP
Liability Check
Handling data of minors is a high-risk zone under the DPDP Act. Without verifiable parental consent, processing children's data is illegal and can lead to immediate penalties.
Why Processing Children's Data Under DPDP is at Risk
The DPDP Act treats children's data with extreme caution. If your ed-tech platform, gaming app, or e-commerce site caters to users under 18, you're on the hook. You need **verifiable parental consent** for any processing – not just a checkbox. The law also restricts **profiling children** or tracking their behavior if it's likely to cause harm. Think about your app used by students in Bangalore schools or your online learning platform in Delhi; a single misstep can attract the Data Protection Board's scrutiny and hefty fines.
Common Violations
- 1.Collecting data from users under 18 without explicit, verifiable parental consent.
- 2.Relying on children themselves to provide consent (they lack legal capacity under DPDP).
- 3.Profiling children or tracking their online activity for targeted ads without adequate safeguards or parental consent.
The Immediate Fix
Implement an age-gating mechanism for new users. For identified minors, pause all data processing until verifiable parental or guardian consent is obtained, or restrict access to age-appropriate features.
Projected Compliance Deadline: Immediate