Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday (October 28, 2026) said the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act did not infringe on press freedom, asserting that the Constitution guaranteed journalistic independence.
Vaishnaw said the DPDP Act was introduced following a Supreme Court judgment recognising the right to privacy as a fundamental right. Speaking to the media, Mr. That freedom is absolutely available. There is not even an intention to affect the journalistic freedom. He invited editors and media professionals to engage in an open dialogue with the government to discuss concerns surrounding the law. It is learnt that the government is also open to amending the law to explicitly safeguard journalistic activities, if necessary. “If hardcoding is required, we can hardcode it; it only requires an amendment… The source added that the government was willing to discuss the concerns and that any confusion could be addressed through an amendment in Parliament. Mr. The law was drafted after more than a year of consultations with stakeholders, including newspapers, television channels, media representatives and the information technology industry.
Because our intent is clear,” a top source said, there is no problem in that.
Vaishnaw said: “The journalistic freedom is guaranteed by the Constitution. The Minister said the privacy law “absolutely maintains, fully maintains the journalistic freedom, the Constitution guarantees”, adding that it was aimed at protecting personal data without undermining media freedom. “It was clearly explained that provisions of the DPDP Act nowhere infringe upon freedom of the press, journalism and freedom of media,” he said.
