The Government of India has drafted the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP) 2025. Under the new proposed rules, minors below 18 shall require parental consent to open new accounts on social media. Let’s understand the details of the new laws and their implementation, and explore similar regulations in other global countries.
New DPDP Rules Explained
The latest draft of the DPDP Rules mentions that social media companies will be required to verify if a parent has approved the creation of a social media account for a minor user (any person below 18). The government will issue appropriate technical and organisational measures to implement this system.
According to the draft, the age verification will be based on two factors:
- Data Fiduciary: A new system will be implemented where each user will have a unique token for their identification, and a government-approved body will verify this. These tokens will be mandatory to open a new account on any social media platform.
- Digital Locker-Based Verification: The user will voluntarily provide details like name, age, etc. These details will be mapped to a token, which will be verified using an official identification method issued by the Central Government, such as Digital Locker (Digilocker).
Both methods are largely similar and the differences are in the agency and governing bodies involved in the verification. Let’s understand the proposed working of this verification process with an example.
Age Verification Methods
When a child tries to open a new account on any platform, digital token verification will be required. This token can be generated and provided in two ways.
The first method is where the parent identifies himself/herself on the platform by providing their verification. The details of the parent will be verified by a government-approved data fiduciary. In this method, the parent must have an existing account on the same social media platform. Once the details are matched, the account of the minor will be mapped to the parent’s identification.
Note: Data Fiduciary (DF) means an agency or a body approved by the Government of India to store and verify personal identification details on individuals.
The second way is where the parent does not have an existing account on that social media platform. Here, the child will have to provide the identification details of their parents to the data fiduciary. The DF will ask the parent to provide consent for the new account on that platform. After complete verification, a digital token will be generated for the minor.
In both methods, separate consent will be required for each social media app. For example, if a child tries to open a new account on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), separate parental consent will be needed for both apps.
When Will the New DPDP Rules Come Into Effect?
The new DPDP rules are in a draft format under the President of India. However, it is pending final approval in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Exact dates for the implementation of the new regulations are not available yet.
The draft of the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules 2025 is available on the official PIB Portal. Indian citizens can submit their feedback and suggestions for the draft on the MeitY website with a deadline of 18 February 2025.
Other Countries Where Social Media is Restricted for Children
India is not the first country to impose restrictions on social media usage by minors. The idea recently became a hot topic when Australia announced a complete ban on social media for children below 16. Here’s a list of countries with similar regulations:
- Australia: Children below 16 are completely prohibited from using social media apps. Failure to comply with the rules will result in fines for both, the user and the social media app. The rules will come into power in 2026.
- Norway: Minors below 15 require parental consent to use any social media app. The implementation of this rule has been challenging, and it’s not completely in power as of today.
- United States of America: Certain states in the USA require parental consent for children below 18 to use social media. Platforms are also required to enforce this policy on their end.
- Germany: Children between 13-16 require consent from parents to social media. Minors above 16 can use social media apps freely.
- France: The French Government passed a new law in 2023, which requires social media apps to have parental consent for minors under 15. However, the rule is still not in power due to challenges in its implementation.
- Belgium: A child must be at least 13 years old to use social media in Belgium. This law was implemented in 2018.
- Italy: Minors below 14 need parental consent to use social media. No restrictions apply beyond this age limit.
- Netherlands: The Netherlands Government banned the usage of smartphones in school premises. However, there are no restrictions on using social media apps. It was among the first countries to impose this law, since most other countries follow the same ideology but as a school-level rule.
In addition to these countries, several other nations and organisations like the European Union have been exploring ways to restrict social media usage for minors. The idea is to protect children and young minds from negativity, hatred, and possible bad elements of social media platforms. We shall this how this is taken ahead in India when more updates appear. So, stay tuned.
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