India's Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the Centre on a petition filed by the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) challenging provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023 and the DPDP Rules, 2025, on the ground that they could restrict press freedom and impede investigative journalism. A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana heard the petition, which has been listed for further hearing next month.

Appearing for the DNPA, Senior Advocate Madhavi Divan argued that the challenged provisions could fundamentally alter the way news is gathered and reported. She submitted that journalists could be required to seek consent from individuals before reporting on them, potentially creating what she described as a regime of pre-censorship. "If I am left to the mercy of the data principal on whether or not he or she will give consent, the concept of news has to be... What is the point if I have to ask for permission and for consent?" she told the court.

The petition has been brought by a group of 21 news publishers, including companies owned by billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani. The publishers argue that the law would trample upon investigative work and allow the government to identify journalists' sources. Until now, only free speech activists and a group of smaller news outlets had challenged the legislation, making this the most high-profile legal challenge against it so far.

The publishers told the court that they had received assurances in an August meeting with the government that the law would protect press freedom, but said the absence of a written carve-out for journalists — of the kind that exists in the European Union, Singapore and Britain — remained alarming. Ms Divan also pointed out that publishers are already subject to several regulatory frameworks, including the Press Council of India framework, cable television regulations and the Information Technology Rules.

The DPDP Act, passed in 2023, is India's first comprehensive data protection law, and its accompanying rules were notified in 2025. The petitioners contend that the framework was not designed to regulate journalism, noting that earlier versions of the legislation had excluded journalistic activity. The case comes amid wider debate about press freedom in India, with critics raising concerns about the space for independent reporting and the government maintaining that it respects press freedom.

With notice now issued, the Centre will have an opportunity to respond before the matter is taken up again next month. The outcome will be watched closely by newsrooms across the country, for whom the question of whether consent must precede publication could reshape everyday reporting — from breaking news and investigations to live television coverage.