New Delhi, February 16 The Supreme Court on Monday issued a notice to the Centre in response to a petition challenging the constitutional validity of several provisions of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Act, 2023.
The petition, filed by The Reporters' Collective and renowned journalist Nitin Sethi, argues that the new data regime severely undermines the Right to Information (RTI) Act and grants the Centre "sweeping powers" over personal data.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, while agreeing to examine the legal complexities of the Act, refused to grant an interim stay on the challenged provisions.
Representing the petitioners, advocate Vrinda Grover said that the Act lacks surgical precision in its attempt to protect privacy.
"Instead of using a chisel, (the legislature) has used a hammer, and has thus rendered a body blow (to RTI), " the senior lawyer said.
The petition states that the DPDP Act creates a blanket ban on the disclosure of personal information, effectively dismantling the transparency framework established by the RTI Act.