Guardian In The Gadget: Analysing Child Privacy In The Light Of Section 9 Of The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
- IJLLR Journal
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
Pradnesh Prashant Dhanodkar, B.A.LL.B. (Hons.), HNLU Raipur
ABSTRACT
The rapid democratisation of internet has made digital connectivity a part and parcel of our life, with nearly 950 million Indians being active on internet, out of which over 250 million are under the age of 18. As this wave boosts the market for domains like EdTech and gaming, it also exposes children to significant risks like age-inappropriate content, cyber-grooming, and exploitation. The paper shall examine the evolving landscape of digital privacy, and trace its imprints right from its roots, in the U.S. jurisprudence, all the way upto its zenith in Penumbra doctrine and Puttaswamy judgement in India.
Cybercrime against children has seen a rise of 261% in India, with crimes like cyberpornography and cyber-grooming being the frontrunners. This rise is mainly due to the jerk received by the Covid pandemic, which opened the floodgates of digital world for the minors very abruptly. The same has been analysed in tandem with its psychological impacts like the PIU and all other factors which in summation make minors vulnerable to cyber-predators. The threat has been recognised internationally with countries like USA and associations like EU, already establishing safeguards for minors in digital space. India, as well, has followed the suit, with the enactment of Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
The research work shall critically analyse the Section 9 of the Act. which lays down the guardrails for the minors in cyberspace, it shall also examine the merits, shortcomings, and possible remedies for the same.
Keywords: Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDPA), 2023; Verifiable Parental Consent; Cybercrime against Children; Digital Privacy
