New Delhi, 27 October (H.S.): The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Central government on another petition challenging the Digital Personal Data Protection Act and its accompanying rules. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed that the petition be tagged with other similar pleas already pending before the court. The next hearing has been scheduled for November 17.

The fresh petition has been filed by the Digital News Publishers Association, an organisation representing media entities. The court declined to grant any immediate interim relief against the data protection law, observing that it could not pass an order without first hearing the Centre’s position.

The petition contends that the absence of specific exemptions for journalistic activities could require journalists and news publishers to comply with obligations such as issuing notices, obtaining consent and deleting personal data while carrying out routine reporting, even when the information is collected and published in the public interest.

According to the petitioners, the lack of such exemptions could impose restrictions on journalists reporting on government officials, crime, business and matters of governance. The plea argues that these provisions infringe upon press freedom and the public’s right to information.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar