India Plans Stricter Age Verification for Social Media

November 24, 2023

The Indian government is developing a comprehensive “risk-based” framework to enforce age-gating on social media and other internet intermediaries, requiring users to access these services only with parental consent. The framework, part of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act of 2023, will impact large social media companies like Meta (Instagram, Facebook) and Google (YouTube), as well as edtech platforms and health-related applications managing user data.

Age Verification Methods

Various methods are under consideration for age verification, including the use of documents saved in DigiLocker, an Aadhaar-based process, a digital token, or an app store-level verification. The approach will be tailored to the nature of the platform and the potential risk of a child’s data misuse.

Stricter Compliance for Social Media

Social media platforms are expected to adhere to stricter age-gating measures due to the higher risk of inappropriate interactions involving minors. Educational, news, accessory, and fashion-related applications and websites catering to under-18 users may need to verify user age and obtain parental consent.

DPDP Act and Timelines

The age-verification framework will operate within the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, which defines users below 18 as children. The rules are anticipated to be released by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology by the end of November 2023. The DPDP Act prohibits processing data of underage users without parental consent, aiming to enhance the protection of minors online.

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