Storing Parental Consent In DigiLocker: A Secure Way To Verify The Identity Of Minors
The landscape of digital identity verification is on the verge of transformation as the Indian government brings a mechanism to validate the identity of parents and their children through the digital repository known as DigiLocker. Leading social media platforms, including Meta”s Facebook, Instagram, and Google”s YouTube Kids, are going to use this technology to directly access and authenticate documents belonging to teenagers” parents stored within DigiLocker. This digital evolution holds significant implications for the future of data protection and user experience.
Reinforcing this transformation is the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act of 2023, which categorises children as individuals below the age of 18, surpassing the global threshold. While many social media platforms allow users above 13 years of age, the new mandate requires platforms to obtain parental consent through identity verification for users aged 13 to 18.
The forthcoming mechanism involves parental consent being stored in DigiLocker. If parents choose to share their data with social media platforms, they can provide consent through a one-time password (OTP). This consent will be documented in the parents” consent ledger, a feature currently in development. To ensure accurate mapping, parents must declare all their children, and upon successful matching of parent and child OTPs, consent will be granted for processing the child”s data.
Challenges and Solutions
While the concept holds promise, challenges must be addressed. Data quality is important; inaccurate or low-quality data could hinder insights. Specialised knowledge is required, prompting businesses to seek external expertise. Data security must be prioritised to ensure ethical and accountable usage.
The government aims to reduce these challenges by utilising DigiLocker”s existing infrastructure. Just as vaccination certificates and licenses are stored, a consent artifact will reflect parental authorisation for data processing. This ledger will allow parents to manage and revoke consent.
The Implementation Journey
Implementation involves careful definition of marketing objectives, rigorous network training, strategic integration within marketing plans, continual monitoring, and expert guidance. The government”s carveout for data fiduciaries processing data in a “verifiably safe manner” could impact the extent of parental consent requirements.
Looking Ahead
As the rules are finalised and the DPDP Act takes effect, this DigiLocker feature will become operational. Despite concerns from social media platforms about security risks, leveraging DigiLocker for identity verification minimises data duplication and privacy risks. This groundbreaking move aligns with parliamentary discussions on parental consent through digital means.
Privacy experts highlight that while age verification and parental consent are crucial, maintaining the freedom to browse online anonymously remains essential. They stress the importance of adhering to data protection principles, proportionality, and minimisation.
As the digital landscape evolves, the fusion of identity verification and data protection paves the way for a more secure and seamless online experience, with DigiLocker at its forefront.
