Verifiable Parental Consent

Under the DPDP Act, organizations must obtain verifiable consent from a parent or lawful guardian before processing the personal data of a child.

Since children may not have the legal capacity to provide consent independently, Data Fiduciaries processing children’s personal data must implement mechanisms to verify that consent is provided by the appropriate parent or guardian.

Verifiable parental consent helps organizations ensure that consent is genuine, informed, and linked to an authorized individual. Organizations need appropriate processes to verify parental identity, maintain consent records, and manage children’s data responsibly.

The DPDP framework places additional obligations on organizations processing children’s personal data, including requirements related to obtaining parental consent and implementing appropriate safeguards.

In Practice, Gaps Emerge When:

• Organizations collect children’s data without verifying parental consent.
• Parent or guardian identity verification processes are weak.
• Consent records are incomplete or difficult to audit.
• Organizations cannot distinguish child users from adult users.
• Parental consent preferences are not properly managed.

Organizations address these challenges by implementing age verification mechanisms, identity verification workflows, consent management systems, and audit trails. Within Privy, capabilities such as consent lifecycle management, identity verification workflows, and compliance tracking help organizations manage consent requirements effectively.