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In a united stand to protect press freedom, 22 press bodies from across India, including the Press Club of India (PCI), have urged the central government to exclude journalistic work from the scope of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.
In a joint memorandum submitted to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who heads the Ministries of Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and IT, and Railways, the press organisations expressed serious concern over the inclusion of journalists’ professional activities under the law. This concern comes despite the fact that journalism was initially excluded during the Bill’s drafting phase.
The memorandum has been signed by over 1,000 journalists and photojournalists across India, and was delivered through a senior official of the Press Information Bureau (PIB). It is part of a larger signature campaign started by the PCI in May 2025, aimed at defending the rights of reporters and media professionals working in print, digital, and electronic platforms.
In a joint memorandum submitted to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who heads the Ministries of Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and IT, and Railways, the press organisations expressed serious concern over the inclusion of journalists’ professional activities under the law. This concern comes despite the fact that journalism was initially excluded during the Bill’s drafting phase.
The memorandum has been signed by over 1,000 journalists and photojournalists across India, and was delivered through a senior official of the Press Information Bureau (PIB). It is part of a larger signature campaign started by the PCI in May 2025, aimed at defending the rights of reporters and media professionals working in print, digital, and electronic platforms.
The Press Club of India (PCI), along with 21 other press bodies, has submitted a joint memorandum urging Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting; Electronics and Information Technology; and Railways, to keep the professional work of journalists outside the scope of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023. The memorandum has been endorsed by over 1,000 journalists and photojournalists from across the country, the PCI said on Wednesday (June 25, 2025).
The PCI states, “The concerns expressed in the memorandum were put together by the PCI after a close study of various definitions and provisions of the Act with legal and personal data experts. The PCI noted that after reviewing the DPDP Act with legal and data protection experts, they found that several definitions and provisions in the Act could threaten journalists’ constitutional rights under Article 19(1)(a) (freedom of speech) and Article 19(1)(g) (freedom to practice any profession).
“In the memorandum, the 22 press bodies located in various States expressed deep concern at the Ministry bringing journalistic work under its ambit, even though it was kept out at the drafting stage of the Bill,” it said, adding that the memorandum was submitted through a senior official of the Press Information Bureau.
The memorandum clearly warns that including journalism within the purview of the DPDP Act could restrict freedom of the press, hinder investigative reporting, and interfere with the collection of data essential to public-interest journalism.
With the media already under pressure from increasing regulations, this move is seen by many as a potential blow to India’s democratic fabric. The press bodies have urged the government to make the necessary amendments to the Act to ensure journalists can continue their work without fear of legal repercussions related to data handling.
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