Editors Guild raises alarm over DPDP rules, warns of threat to press freedom

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) has voiced serious concerns over the newly notified rules under the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023, stating that several provisions remain ambiguous and could pose significant challenges for journalists and media organisations.

The Guild said it had earlier warned the government that the Act weakens the Right to Information (RTI) framework and does not include a clear journalistic exemption. Despite the release of the detailed rules, it said, the situation remains “unclear,” with several critical questions still unanswered.

The Guild recalled that in July 2025, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) held a consultation with media bodies and had verbally assured them that journalistic work would not fall under the ambit of the law. However, EGI noted that no formal written clarification has been issued since.

Media organisations had also submitted a document to the ministry containing 35 questions, seeking clarity on issues such as consent, access to data, the status of research, and reporting-related exemptions. According to the Guild, many of these concerns remain unresolved.

One of the biggest worries, EGI said, is that journalistic work could be treated as “data processing”, potentially requiring consent even for newsgathering. Such an interpretation, the Guild cautioned, could directly affect investigative journalism, public-interest reporting, and routine newsroom practices.

The Guild stressed that unless explicit relaxations are provided, the compliance burden on the media will rise, undermining press freedom and ultimately weakening democratic accountability.

The Editors Guild has urged the government to issue an immediate clarification explicitly exempting bona fide journalistic activities from the DPDP framework. It said that press freedom and the public’s right to information must be protected with the same seriousness accorded to data security and privacy.