DPDP for EdTech: The Compliance Playbook

Students, Parents, and Tutors—EdTech handles India’s most sensitive data. Here is your roadmap to safety and compliance under the DPDP Act.

Assess EdTech Risk

Why EdTech Compliance is High-Risk

High Stakes, High Volume. EdTech platforms process the personal data of minors, parents, and educators at scale. Under the DPDP Act, your compliance posture must be designed around:

  • Special protections for Children (Verifiable Parental Consent).
  • Strict Breach Reporting (72-hour deadlines).
  • Sovereignty & Storage (Cross-border restrictions).

Who You Need to Protect

🎓 Students (Minors require special care)

👨‍👩‍👧 Parents (The consent managers for kids)

🏫 Tutors & Schools (Data processors vs. Fiduciaries)

The EdTech Data Journey

1

Onboarding

Mobile OTPs, Parent ID Proofs, Class/School details.

2

Learning & Engagement

Assessments, Video calls, Performance analytics.

3

Proctoring & Integrity

Camera/Mic access, Device fingerprinting.

4

Marketing

Lead generation, WhatsApp campaigns.

Verifiable Parental Consent

How to handle age-gating, “I’m under 18” flows, and parent verification tokens.

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Notices & Sign-up Flows

Designing “Just-in-Time” notices for camera access, payments, and marketing.

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Breach Response & Proctoring

Managing proctoring risks and the 72-hour Board reporting deadline.

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User Rights Portal

Building a self-serve portal for access, correction, and grievance redressal.

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Retention Schedules

Stop “keeping everything forever.” Define erasure logic for student data.

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SaaS & Vendor Map

Managing cross-border transfers for cloud tools, CRMs, and analytics.

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Are you a Significant Data Fiduciary (SDF)?

Large EdTechs handling high volumes of sensitive data may be designated as SDFs. This triggers mandatory Annual Audits, DPIAs, and the appointment of a Data Protection Officer (DPO) based in India.