Supreme Court seeks government reply as news publishers challenge DPDP Act’s impact on investigations

The Supreme Court has summoned the Centre to respond to a petition filed by the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) that contests key provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Rules, 2025. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana issued notice and an interim stay application, with the matter slated for a November 17 hearing.

The DNPA, which aggregates the digital arms of 21 leading news organisations, seeks to annul nine sections of the Act and three accompanying rules, arguing that the absence of a specific journalism exemption forces reporters to seek consent before using personal information, effectively pre-censoring investigative work. Senior advocate Madhavi Divan highlighted the risk to newsroom operations and to confidential sources, noting that the law also allows the Centre to demand data from organisations and could limit public access to information. The petition also questions the independence of the Data Protection Board of India and challenges a recent amendment to the Right to Information Act that could further restrict disclosure in the public interest.