Indian Media Groups Challenge Privacy Law, Warn of Press Freedom Threat

21 Indian news publishers, including Network18, NDTV, and The Indian Express, have challenged India's privacy law in the Supreme Court, warning it jeopardizes investigative reporting and source confidentiality

Staff Reporter

Oct 28, 2026, 06:01 AM1 min read

Indian Media Groups Challenge Privacy Law, Warn of Press Freedom Threat

The Supreme Court of India & Press / Collecetd

Twenty-one Indian news publishers have challenged the government’s privacy law in the Supreme Court, warning that it could restrict investigative journalism, expose confidential sources and force newsrooms to shut down.

According to Al Jazeera, the publishers argued that requiring journalists to seek consent from people they report on would amount to pre-censorship and undermine independent reporting.

The challenge was filed on Tuesday by media groups including Network18, owned by Mukesh Ambani, NDTV, owned by Gautam Adani, The Indian Express and Times Internet.

Madhavi Goradia Divan, representing the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), told the court that requiring permission before publishing news would fundamentally change journalism.

The publishers also fear that the law could allow people under investigation to destroy evidence, intimidate witnesses or demand the removal of factual reports by withdrawing consent.

They further warned that provisions allowing authorities to demand personal data and block information could expose journalists’ sources and discourage whistleblowers from reporting corruption and corporate wrongdoing.

The media groups said the law lacks clear safeguards for journalism and urged the court to strike down provisions they consider harmful to press freedom.

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