The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, declined to grant an interim stay on the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, issuing a notice to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) after the Digital News Publishers Association (DNPA) petitioned for one.
DNPA, representing legacy outlets such as Network18, NDTV, Indian Express and Times Internet, argued that the Act’s permission‑and‑consent clauses would effectively pre‑censor reporting, stifling investigative journalism and delaying news that “has to be new.” Advocate Madhavi Divan warned that “newsroom will close down if we are to ask for permission to report certain things.”
The Court ruled it could not issue an ex‑parte stay, noting that the law remains operative until the full hearing. It added that the petition would be heard alongside other related challenges on 17 November.
In total, 21 publishers have joined the challenge, citing risks to investigative work and source confidentiality. The hearing will decide whether specific provisions of the DPDP Act can stand or must be struck down, with the law remaining in force for the interim period.