{
  "id": 17296331,
  "title": "Can amend privacy act, revoke law if needed: Government",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/30/can-amend-privacy-act-revoke-law-if-needed-government",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-30T22:01:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Times of India",
    "slug": "times-of-india",
    "url": "https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/can-amend-privacy-act-revoke-law-if-needed-government/articleshow/135378659.cms"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New Delhi: The government has expressed openness to amend the rules of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, or even the law itself, to ensure it does not hinder journalists and media organizations. Senior officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology clarified that the sections of the law deemed to violate constitutional provisions on freedom of speech and expression are meant for data fiduciaries, not journalists. The DPDP Act is primarily concerned with data fiduciaries, or those who collect and manage data. When asked about journalists' concerns that the act does not explicitly exempt media houses, officials stated that the rules can always be amended to alleviate any worries. The DPDP Act has been defended on the grounds of protecting citizens' right to privacy and holding data fiduciaries accountable. This stance follows the Supreme Court's decision to hear a plea from the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA), which represents 21 leading Indian news media organizations, challenging the validity of certain provisions and rules under the act. The DNPA argued that the law infringes upon the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression, potentially impacting the entire scope of journalistic work. Officials assured that journalists' concerns will be addressed by creating exemptions for them in the rules and, if necessary, the law itself. Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnav confirmed that Section 7 of the DPDP Act pertains to data fiduciaries such as banks, telecom providers, and insurance companies, and media organizations are not within its scope. The government remains committed to respecting the constitutional rights to freedom and expression. Section 7 stipulates that personal data of a data principal can only be processed by a data fiduciary for the specified purpose for which the data principal voluntarily provided it, and where the data principal has not explicitly stated a preference against its use.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Government open to amending DPDP Act to protect journalists",
    "DPDP Act focuses on data fiduciaries, not media organizations",
    "Section 7 excludes media houses from data fiduciary scope"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}