Media groups challenge India’s privacy law at top court

What the report says

Media groups in India have taken the government’s privacy law to the Supreme Court, arguing that parts of the measure could undermine investigative reporting and expose confidential sources. According to Al Jazeera’s report, a coalition of 21 news publishers — including outlets linked to Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani — is asking the court to review the law, which they say would require journalists to seek consent from people they write about.

The Digital News Publishers Association told judges that the rule could amount to pre-censorship because reporters would have to notify subjects before publishing, giving them time to destroy evidence or pressure witnesses. The group also warned that provisions allowing consent to be withdrawn, data to be erased, and officials to demand information could force newsrooms to remove or heavily edit accurate stories. It said the law’s enforcement powers and possible fines could further chill reporting.

The filing, as described by Al Jazeera, says media companies had received verbal assurances from the government in August that press freedom would be protected, but they remain concerned that journalists are not explicitly exempted in the statute. The Supreme Court said it will hear the case next month.

The dispute matters because press groups say the law could deter whistleblowers from sharing information about corruption, corporate misconduct or election-related abuses. A key broader issue is whether privacy rules can be applied to journalism without weakening source protection and the public-interest role of the press.