Kidfluencers on a Timeout as Rules Force Industry Rethink

Draft personal data rules turn brands hesitant to partner with underage influencers

- Pratishtha Bagai

Minors moonlighting as influencers may have to pause their business ambitions for a while as their parents and companies decipher the government's proposed rules for monitoring social media use by children.

The first draft of the rules to enforce the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 prescribes that children under 18 cannot use social media without the explicit consent of their parents or legal guardians.

"A data fiduciary shall adopt appropriate technical and organization measures to ensure that verifiable consent of the parent is obtained before the processing of any personal data of a child and shall observe due diligence," the draft rules published on Friday state.

The rules have turned companies hesitant to partner with child influencers, or 'kidfluencers,' until they have better clarity on the proposed changes, despite these firms already having obtained parental consent for existing contracts.