India’s New Data Protection Law: Death Knell for Press Freedom?

2 months ago 36

Is Freedom of Press under threat in India? In this edition of Jaanne Bhi Do Yaaro, Anjali Bhardwaj & Amrita Johri are joined by investigative journalist Nitin Sethi to discuss the impact of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act and its newly notified 2025 Rules on the freedom of the press and citizen’s fundamental right to know While the government promised a "corruption-free India," the new Data Protection Law is actually a shield for the powerful & corrupt. From the dilution of the RTI Act to the threat of ₹250 crore fines, we explore how these legal shifts make it nearly impossible for journalists to expose scams involving ministers, bureaucrats, and contractors. In this video we discuss how the amendment to Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act through the DPDP Act removes the "public interest" override, turning the RTI Act virtually into a right to deny information. The RTI Act has enabled investigative journalists to bring to light important issues of public interest- from how the government held consultations with corporates to bring the farm laws to benefit them to the truth about the electoral bonds scam. By requiring data fiduciaries to seek consent before collecting or publishing any digital personal data, the law poses a serious threat to the work of investigative journalists. Will a contractor indulging in corruption consent to his name being published? The massive penalties up to ₹250 or ₹500 crore for violations of the law will have a huge chilling impact on freedom of the press. Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join

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