Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has asserted that the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, does not restrict journalistic freedom, as the Supreme Court seeks the Centre’s response to a challenge filed by the Digital News Publishers Association over the absence of a specific journalism exemption.
New Delhi, October 2026 : Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday defended the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, asserting that the legislation fully safeguards journalistic freedom and contains no provision that restricts the media’s ability to report freely.
His remarks came after the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) approached the Supreme Court, arguing that the absence of a specific exemption for journalistic activities could hamper news gathering, undermine investigative reporting and affect citizens’ right to information.
“There is not even an intention to affect freedom. The privacy law absolutely maintains freedom. It has been enacted as a consequence of the Supreme Court judgment that recognised privacy as a fundamental right,” Vaishnaw said.
The minister maintained that the legislation was drafted following the Supreme Court’s recognition of privacy as a fundamental right and underwent an extensive consultation process involving stakeholders, including industry representatives.
“The consultation process continued for a month and the industry was part of it. Nowhere does the law infringe upon journalistic freedom,” he said.
Rejecting concerns raised by media organisations, Vaishnaw clarified that the DPDP Act does not require journalists to obtain permission from individuals before reporting on them. He also said the law contains no provision compelling reporters to disclose their sources.
“There is no provision requiring a reporter to take clearance from a person who is the subject of a story. There is also no clause that compels disclosure of the source of a story,” the minister said.
On Tuesday, the Supreme Court sought the Centre’s response to the DNPA petition. The association represents 21 leading news organisations and has raised concerns that the lack of a specific journalistic exemption could create difficulties for investigative and public-interest reporting.
Passed by Parliament in August 2023, the DPDP Act is India’s first comprehensive legislation governing the protection of digital personal data. It establishes a framework for processing personal data with individuals’ consent or under specified legitimate uses outlined in Section 7.
The legal challenge has brought the balance between individual privacy rights and press freedom into focus. The Supreme Court’s consideration of the petition could have important implications for digital news publishers and the future of public-interest journalism in India.
