Parents' Guide to Ensuring CHILDREN'S DIGITAL PRIVACY

With India's new Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), 2023 now in force, parents have stronger legal rights - and greater responsibility - to protect their children's personal data in the digital age and clandestine surveillance

- NAGARAJ B.S.

Every time your child logs into her school portal, a learning app, an online class, attends a virtual birthday party, or signs into a social media account (Facebook, Instagram, etc), her personal data is being collected and recorded. But how safe is this data? Who collects it, where is it stored, and what if it falls into the wrong hands?

With India’s new Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), 2023 now in force, parents have stronger legal rights — and greater responsibility — to protect their children’s data in the new digital age and clandestine surveillance. It’s important for parents to understand these rights and follow simple cyber hygiene practices to keep children safe in the real and virtual worlds.

WHAT IS DPDPA?

Enacted in 2023 by Parliament, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA) is India’s first full-fledged law to protect personal data of individuals — including children. It applies to all digital data collected by websites, apps, schools, businesses, and government bodies. The law defines children as anyone under 18 years and provides their data extra protection. Schools and companies are required by the Act to:

• Get verifiable parental consent before collecting children’s data

• Avoid tracking, profiling, or targeting children with ads

• Protect data with adequate security measures

• Allow parents to access, correct, or delete their child’s information

• If schools/companies/online service providers don’t comply, they face heavy penalties — up to Rs.250 crore.

But the law isn’t enough. Parents have a crucial role to play in protecting children’s data at home, on phones, and in school.

TYPE OF DATA BEING COLLECTED

Most parents will be surprised to learn just how much data is being collected — often without their knowledge. For instance: