Facial Recognition Technology and its Impact on Privacy Rights of Children

India is gradually becoming the data center hub of the world. Covid-19 has contributed towards this growth by pushing the nation to adapt to the virtual world, thereby, accelerating our technological capabilities. With these technological advancements such as Facial Recognition Technology, India is entering into Mass Surveillance State and the danger of data breaches and privacy violations is also looming large. As fast as the nation is modernizing, the pace of legislation to incorporate data protection has been, by far, unsatisfactory. Although the potential violation of privacy affects all strata of society, children are, arguably, the most vulnerable group. Educational institutes such as schools and colleges are some of the biggest perpetrators in the privacy violation of kids. Thus, this issue of violation of privacy via the employment of Facial recognition technology requires immediate attention as it is a major threat to our fundamental right to privacy and human rights. Therefore, this research paper attempts to trace the impact of these technologies on privacy rights, especially children, by critically examining relevant statutes from the national as well as international perspective. Further, the paper explores the violation of privacy by educational institutes such as schools and colleges. Lastly, the paper concludes by recommending some solutions to curb the blatant abuse of the privacy rights of children.