WhatsApp: Will you now have to disclose your age to use WhatsApp? The company has started testing a new feature in India..
If you use WhatsApp in India, the app might soon ask for your date of birth. The popular Meta-owned messaging platform has begun testing a new age-verification feature in the country. This move is aimed at complying with the provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, which is set to be implemented in India soon.
According to reports, screenshots have surfaced on social media showing WhatsApp notifying users to add their date of birth. It is also being reported that under the upcoming laws in India, the platform will be required to verify users' ages.
What did the company say?
According to reports, a WhatsApp spokesperson confirmed that this feature is currently being tested with a limited number of users. The company stated that it is developing options to comply with upcoming Indian laws—such as the DPDP Act—in a way that ensures both user privacy and age verification. WhatsApp also clarified that the feature is entirely optional during the testing phase; this means users can continue to use the app as usual without entering their date of birth for now.
Will your date of birth be visible to other users?
The company states that an individual's age is private information and will not be shared with other WhatsApp users. Furthermore, this feature will not alter the way WhatsApp is used or the overall user experience.
What is the connection to the DPDP Act?
The Indian government is preparing to implement provisions of the DPDP Act requiring digital platforms that process children's personal data to verify whether a user is under the age of 18. Consequently, age verification mechanisms are being deemed essential for social media and messaging platforms.
Increased government scrutiny of Meta
This test comes at a time when Meta's services in India are already under regulatory scrutiny. Recently, Meta apologized for temporarily restricting a Facebook post related to the exam paper leak involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology summoned Meta's global team to discuss this matter. As the issue escalated, Meta co-founder Mark Zuckerberg personally stepped forward to apologize to the Indian government.
Additionally, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has asked WhatsApp to temporarily defer the launch of its username feature. The government believes that this feature—which allows users to connect without sharing mobile numbers—could lead to an increase in cases of fake identities and digital fraud. It remains to be seen when this age verification feature from WhatsApp will be made available to all Indian users following the implementation of the DPDP Act.
Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Amar Ujala. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.
