New Delhi: Social media, which connects a person to any corner of the world, was once a boon, but now when its negative effects, especially on children, are coming to the fore, the Central Government is preparing Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, the draft of which Is in this type. Released on Friday. Children under 18 must obtain parental permission to have a social media account. The government has now drafted the Digital Data Protection Bill 2023, 14 months after it was passed by Parliament.
While there are demands to ban social media, which once proved to be a boon for people, Australia has banned the use of social media by children below 16 years of age. Now India is also moving in this direction.
The government on Friday released the draft of the long-awaited digital personal data protection rules, which mandates parental approval for children below 18 to create social media accounts, but if the rules are violated, No punitive measures specified.
The draft DPDP Bill states that in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-sections (1) and (2) of section 40 of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (22 of 2023), the rules proposed in the draft will be made. Published by the Central Government on or after the date of commencement of the Act, for the information of all persons affected.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued a notification asking the public to give their objections and suggestions on the draft provisions of the bill. The government will consider the feedback received from the public after February 18. The draft rules emphasize strict measures to protect personal data of children and persons with disabilities under the protection of law.
According to the draft, data fiduciaries, organizations responsible for handling personal data, will have to obtain the consent of children’s parents before taking data of minors. Fiduciaries must use a government ID card or digital identity token to verify consent. However, educational institutions and child welfare organizations are exempted from certain provisions of these rules.
In addition to paying special attention to children’s data, the draft rules also strengthen consumers’ rights. Users will have the right to have their data removed and demand transparency from companies about why and how this data is being collected. In case of personal data breach, companies will be charged Rs. Will be charged. A provision for a fine of up to Rs 250 crore has been made, which will ensure accountability of data fiduciaries. The customer will also have the right to challenge data collection processes and ask for clarification regarding data use.
The draft rules also cover important digital intermediaries such as e-commerce entities, online gaming intermediaries and social media intermediaries. Guidelines have been set for them. Social media platforms are defined as mediums that facilitate online communication between users, including information sharing, dissemination, and research. To ensure compliance with these rules, the government will set up a Data Protection Board, which will act as a full-fledged digital regulatory body.
