Consent Managers loading - AI model training and DPDP's consent norms

“Privacy is not a barrier to innovation. It is the foundation that allows innovation to be trusted.” - Sundar Pichai Growing need for respo...

“Privacy is not a barrier to innovation. It is the foundation that allows innovation to be trusted.” - Sundar Pichai

Growing need for responsible data oversight

India’s newly notified Digital Personal Data Protection rules place fresh emphasis on structured consent, pushing companies to appoint consent managers who can log permissions, withdrawals, and denials. These managers must maintain comprehensive records and respond to user requests, ensuring compliance across sectors handling personal data.

Strengthening parental verification for minors

The rules make parental consent mandatory for users below eighteen. Companies must verify a parent’s identity through mechanisms such as Digital Locker before processing a child’s data. This marks a shift toward stricter oversight, especially for digital services used by young users, and compels businesses to build secure, verifiable consent systems.

Rethinking how ai models use data

With consent at the center of the law, firms using customer data to train internal artificial intelligence models may need to rethink their practices. If a user withdraws consent, data tied to that individual must be removed from training repositories, which could require model retraining. Experts note that this may significantly increase operational costs.

Challenges in data retention and deletion

The rules introduce obligations for intermediaries and online platforms to delete personal data if users remain inactive for three years. Firms must also update internal roadmaps to ensure they can erase or isolate data without affecting existing ai models. The industry anticipates new workflows for tracking and auditing stored data.

Balancing compliance with innovation

As companies navigate the logistical and technical challenges of consent tracking and data governance, they are expected to move toward transparent systems. While compliance may seem demanding, experts believe it will eventually strengthen consumer trust and align business practices with global data protection standards.

Summary

India’s updated data protection rules reshape how companies track consent, manage children’s data, and use customer information for ai training. Businesses must adapt to stricter verification, data deletion requirements, and increased oversight, prompting major operational and technological changes.

Food for thought

Are companies ready to redesign their ai pipelines when users request their data to be withdrawn?

AI concept to learn: Data Fiduciaries

A data fiduciary is an entity that determines how and why personal data is processed, carrying key responsibilities for user protection. Under India’s rules, these fiduciaries must ensure transparency, maintain accurate consent logs, and enable secure data handling for compliant digital operations.

[The Billion Hopes Research Team shares the latest AI updates for learning and awareness. Various sources are used. All copyrights acknowledged. This is not a professional, financial, personal or medical advice. Please consult domain experts before making decisions. Feedback welcome!]