Ambani, Adani outlets among Indian publishers contesting Modi’s privacy law
NEW DELHI: A group of 21 news publishers, including companies owned by billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, has challenged India’s privacy law in court, arguing it would trample investigative work and let New Delhi identify journalists’ sources, documents show. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government last year announced implementation of a privacy law to protect digital personal data of…
A coalition of 21 prominent Indian news publishers, including companies controlled by billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, have filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court challenging India's privacy law. The publishers argue that the law would undermine investigative journalism and expose journalists' sources. The Indian government announced plans to implement the privacy law last year, which would require platforms like Meta and Google to comply.
While media outlets received assurances in August that the law would protect press freedom, the absence of a written exemption similar to those in the European Union, Singapore, and Britain alarmed the DNPA. The lawsuit, set to be heard on Tuesday, marks the most significant challenge to Modi's privacy law to date. DNPA and the media groups have declined to comment on the matter.
The publishers are demanding that the law's contentious provisions, which come into effect in May 2027, be struck down, as they fear the law could force journalists to obtain prior consent from subjects and erase stories, potentially rendering investigative journalism ineffective.
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