Coaching and test-prep platforms sign up teenagers directly, and under-18s are children under the Act.
In short
A 17-year-old buying a course is legally a child, so you need verifiable parental consent, no behavioural targeting, and age assurance, with the educational exemption far from guaranteed. Children-data penalties reach ₹200 crore.
What changes for this sub-sector.
A teenager buying a course is legally a child; you need verifiable parental consent to process their data.
You cannot profile minors to serve personalised offers; this hits ad-supported and freemium models.
Add age assurance at account creation and design the parental-consent flow around it.
The educational-institution exemption may not cover private coaching apps; do not rely on it.
Marketing to students and parents needs its own clear consent.
Keep records evidencing consent, and honour access and erasure.
Fix age assurance and verifiable consent before May 2027.
The readiness check flags age-gating, consent and profiling gaps.
Take the readiness check →