India: Slate of new laws a major threat to India’s press freedom / IFJ
India’s recent passage of the Digital Personal Data Protection and Press Registration bills raises significant concerns regarding censorship and surveillance. Critics argue these measures threaten press freedom by allowing broad government intervention in media operations and limiting journalists' ability to protect sources. This legislative shift undermines transparency, potentially exposing sensitive data while restricting public access to information. These developments are critically relevant to open_data principles, as they exemplify how privacy legislation can be weaponized to suppress accountability and hinder the free flow of information. By amending laws to exempt personal data from right-to-information requests, the state creates barriers to public scrutiny. This erodes the trust necessary for open data initiatives, where transparency and accessibility are paramount for democratic health. Ultimately, these bills signal a dangerous trajectory for independent journalism and information rights in India. Organizations urge an urgent review to align laws with constitutional guarantees of free expression. Protecting open data ecosystems requires vigilant defense against regulatory frameworks that prioritize state control over the public’s right to know and access vital information.
Source: ifj.orgPublished on 2023-08-16