Meta-owned WhatsApp is testing a privacy-protective age verification prompt for users in India ahead of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act rollout scheduled for May next year. The company confirmed that only a limited set of users received the prompt asking them to add their date of birth to their profile, and providing this information remains optional, according to inc42.com.
WhatsApp’s spokesperson said the test aims to comply with upcoming Indian laws like the DPDP Act by exploring ways for people to confirm their age without compromising privacy. The company emphasized that the information collected will be processed according to its privacy commitments and will not be visible to other users. The development was initially reported by the technology newsletter TheTechTrace, and WhatsApp clarified that the prompt is part of an ongoing test.
The DPDP Act does not mandate users to verify their age or require minors to disclose it. Instead, it requires platforms to obtain verifiable parental or guardian consent before processing children’s personal data and to exercise due diligence in establishing users’ ages and consent authority. Platforms can meet these obligations using reliable age or identity information already available or through voluntary information provided via authorized entities, as detailed by inc42.com.
The DPDP Act is set to come into force in May next year, marking a significant regulatory change for digital platforms operating in India. WhatsApp’s testing of age verification prompts reflects early compliance efforts with the new data protection framework.