India’s Top Media Giants Challenge Modi’s Privacy Law in Supreme Court
India's leading news publishers, including Ambani and Adani-owned outlets, are challenging a new privacy law, citing threats to investigative journalism.
POLICY WIRE — New Delhi, India — A coalition of 21 prominent news publishers has launched a legal challenge against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s digital privacy legislation. The group, which includes media entities controlled by billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, filed the petition in the Supreme Court to contest the law’s potential impact on the industry.
The Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) argues that the current framework poses a significant threat to the independence of the press. According to court documents, the publishers contend that the law could severely hinder investigative reporting and grant the government excessive power to identify confidential sources.
Industry leaders warn that the provisions within the privacy law may force the removal of stories and create an environment where journalists are unable to protect their informants. By challenging the government in court, these media organizations are seeking to safeguard editorial autonomy against what they describe as an overreach of state authority.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
