NHRC seeks action taken report from ministries on child data risks online

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to multiple central ministries seeking an Action Taken Report within 15 days over alleged large-scale violations of children’s data protection norms by artificial intelligence, social media and ed-tech platforms in India.In a notice dated March 24, 2026, the Commission said it had taken cognisance of a complaint based on a research report by the Advanced Study Institute of Asia (ASIA), which flagged “serious, large-scale, and systemic violations” by digital, social media, ed-tech and AI platforms widely accessed by children in India. The notice has been sent to the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), the ministry of home affairs, the ministry of women and child development, the ministry of education, and the department of telecommunications, among others. The ASIA report, titled ‘DPDP Compliance in Respect to Children’s Data’, evaluates 14 widely used platforms against the provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023. It finds that across 196 compliance checks, 71% were non-compliant, 16% partially non-compliant, and only 13% relatively compliant.