India

Supreme Court to Hear Challenge by 21 News Publishers Over India’s Privacy Law

By Al Jazeera Staff

A coalition of 21 Indian news publishers, including Network18, NDTV, The Indian Express and Times Internet, has filed a petition with the Supreme Court arguing that the country’s new privacy law would undermine investigative journalism and endanger sources. The law would require journalists to obtain consent from individuals they write about, a measure the publishers say amounts to pre‑censorship and could lead to newsrooms shutting down. They contend that the consent requirement would allow subjects to destroy evidence or intimidate witnesses, and that the ability for people to withdraw consent at any time could force reporters to unpublish or heavily edit factual stories. The law also creates a federal authority that can fine non‑compliant organisations and grant the government power to block access to information in the “interests of the general public,” further restricting press freedom. From next year, the law will permit the government to order any organisation handling personal data to provide information, potentially exposing reporters’ sources. The publishers claim that the absence of a written exemption for journalists, unlike in the European Union, Singapore and Britain, is alarming. The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for the case next month.