Understanding Consent Under DPDP
In 2025, digital interactions have become an inseparable part of daily life. Whether someone is signing up for a new app, making an online purchase, accessing a government service, or sharing information with a business, their data constantly moves across various digital systems. With this level of connectivity, personal information has become extremely valuable, which is why the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and its associated Rules play such a crucial role in India’s digital ecosystem. These laws are designed to create a fair and transparent environment where organizations handle personal data responsibly, and individuals stay empowered over how their information is used.
One of the most important parts of the DPDP framework is consent. It is the foundation of responsible data processing under the law. But not all consent is considered valid. The DPDP Rules introduce additional clarity by emphasizing purpose-specific consent, which ensures that individuals know exactly why their data is being collected and how it will be used. Along with this, the rise of consent managers adds a new layer of control, making it easier for people to give, manage, and withdraw their consent even when dealing with multiple organizations at once. This creates a system where data rights are not only protected but also simple to exercise.
Consent is not a new concept. For years, websites and apps have shown pop-ups asking users to accept terms or approve data collection. But in many cases, people could not understand what they were agreeing to, or they would give broad consent that allowed companies to use their data for several unrelated purposes. The DPDP Rules aim to fix this by making consent meaningful, narrow, and clearly tied to a specific purpose. Instead of broad approval for any type of use, individuals now grant consent for each purpose separately, which gives them more clarity and more control.
Purpose-specific consent means that organizations cannot bundle different data uses into a single blanket permission. If a company wants to collect someone’s phone number to provide an OTP login, that consent cannot be stretched to include marketing calls or data sharing with advertisers. The permission applies only to the original purpose unless the user voluntarily gives another explicit consent for additional use. This ensures that personal information is collected only when needed, used only for the intended purpose, and not repurposed without the person’s approval. This also forces organizations to think carefully about their data practices and justify each request instead of treating user information as an unlimited resource.
When consent is tied to a specific purpose, the language requesting it must be clear, easy to understand, and available in all required languages. Businesses must tell users why the data is needed, how it will be used, and whether it will be shared. This level of transparency helps build trust and prevents misunderstandings. It also aligns with global privacy trends, where laws increasingly emphasize clarity and simplicity over long, complicated policy documents that ordinary users cannot interpret.
As digital services grew more complex, people started engaging with dozens of platforms, apps, and websites—each asking for various types of consent. Managing all this manually became overwhelming for most individuals. This gap created the need for a structured, user-friendly solution. This is where consent managers come in, offering a unified and transparent way for individuals to control their permissions.
How consent managers work
They act as independent digital platforms approved by the government to help users manage their consent across multiple organizations. Instead of searching through different apps for privacy settings or figuring out how to withdraw consent from each service separately, individuals can use a single dashboard. Through this dashboard, they can view past consents, give new ones, or withdraw existing permissions. The consent manager does not store personal data; it simply routes the user’s instructions safely to the relevant organizations while keeping a record of these communications for transparency and compliance.
Consent managers follow strict standards to make sure communication is secure and that user intent is always honored. If a user decides to withdraw consent from a particular service, the consent manager ensures the withdrawal request reaches that organization clearly and promptly. The organization must then stop processing data tied to that purpose unless it has another legal basis to continue. This level of clarity protects both the individual and the business.
Why they’re important
Many people did not know how to track what they had agreed to, and withdrawing consent often turned into a frustrating experience. Companies could also face confusion, errors, or delays in implementing user requests. Consent managers solve these problems by introducing consistency, convenience, and visibility. They create a trusted, neutral channel where user decisions are easy to make and impossible to ignore. This not only improves user confidence but also helps businesses demonstrate compliance more easily.
The role of consent managers also strengthens accountability. Organizations can no longer claim that they never received a withdrawal request or that the user didn’t communicate clearly. The consent manager ensures there is a clear trail of communication. This record becomes extremely important during audits or investigations, as the DPDP Act requires businesses to prove that they followed proper data handling practices. With a structured and transparent system in place, businesses reduce their risk of non-compliance and build a stronger privacy posture.
Purpose-specific consent
Since companies must define the exact purpose before asking for consent, they are encouraged to collect only what is necessary. This reduces data hoarding and limits the chances of sensitive information being exposed during a breach. When data is collected with a clear purpose and only to the extent required, organizations naturally develop cleaner and safer systems. It also reduces the amount of data they must secure, which lowers operational costs and security risks.
These practices also help individuals stay informed about how their data is being used. If a business wants to use the information for a new purpose later, it must request fresh consent. This protects people from unexpected or hidden uses of their personal information. Over time, this fosters trust between companies and their users, because the rules make sure that nothing about data use happens quietly or without approval.
Companies benefit significantly from taking consent seriously. A transparent consent process builds credibility. Customers trust brands that clearly explain what data they need and why. This becomes especially important in industries like healthcare, finance, and education, where sensitive information is involved. When users feel safe, they are more willing to share accurate information, use digital services frequently, and remain loyal to the business.
Consent managers support this trust by making the entire experience smooth. People appreciate systems that give them control without adding complexity, and businesses appreciate tools that simplify compliance. With consent managers, the relationship between users and companies becomes more balanced and respectful. It shifts from blind trust to informed trust, which is much stronger and more sustainable.
Strong consent practices also help businesses avoid unnecessary risks. Collecting too much data or using it without clear consent not only violates the law but also increases exposure in case of a breach. By limiting data collection to well-defined purposes and using robust consent processes, companies reduce potential legal liabilities and protect their reputation. The cost of a privacy violation is always higher than the cost of doing things right from the start.
As digital systems become more advanced, the importance of consent will continue to grow. New technologies like artificial intelligence, behavior analytics, and automated decision-making rely heavily on data. Purpose-specific consent ensures that individuals retain control even as these technologies expand. Consent managers may also evolve to offer more features, helping people understand how their data contributes to automated decisions or how algorithms interpret their information.
In the future, consent might become even more dynamic. Users may receive instant explanations about how their data is being used in real time. Consent interfaces may become simpler and more conversational, making privacy accessible to everyone, not just those familiar with technology. What remains constant, however, is the central role of transparency and control—two pillars that consent managers and purpose-specific consent strongly support.
The DPDP framework marks a major shift towards a more responsible digital environment. Purpose-specific consent ensures that individuals know exactly what they’re agreeing to, and consent managers make it easier to manage those choices. Together, they create a digital ecosystem where privacy is respected, data is handled responsibly, and trust becomes a core strength rather than an afterthought.