The Supreme Court challenge
The Digital Personal Data Protection Act is being challenged in the Supreme Court. This page follows the case using the court's own orders and registry reports.
Where it stands
Eight petitions from RTI campaigners, media organisations and others ask the Supreme Court to strike down parts of the Act and the Rules. No court has stopped the law, so its dates and penalties stand. The case is next listed on 17 November 2026.
- 10 FebLead petition registered
- 16 FebCourt issues notice to the government
- 23 MarGovernment told to file its reply in 4 weeks
- 7 AugIT ministry added as a respondent
- 17 NovNext listing
Checked against the Supreme Court case status on 29 October 2026. Diary no. 7765/2026, lead case W.P.(C) 177/2026.
What the petitioners argue
- RTI. Section 44(3) rewrites the Right to Information Act’s personal-information exemption, which they say lets officials refuse almost any request.
- Journalism. The Act has no exemption for processing personal data in journalism or other public-interest work.
- State power. Section 36 and Rule 23 let the central government demand information from companies, and Sections 17(1)(c) and 17(2) exempt state bodies, with no stated safeguards.
- The Board. The committee that picks Board members (Rules 17(1) and 17(2)) is controlled by the executive, which they say weakens the Board’s independence.
Most of these arguments are about press freedom, RTI and state power, not the breach and security duties. A ruling could still change the law.
Who filed
| W.P.(C) no., 2026 | Petitioner | Filed |
|---|---|---|
| 177 · lead | Venkatesh Nayak, RTI Kerala Federation | 10 Feb |
| 211 | The Reporters Collective Trust | 14 Feb |
| 212 | National Campaign for People’s Right to Information | 14 Feb |
| 275 | Geeta Seshu | 26 Feb |
| 286 | Anjali Bhardwaj | 27 Feb |
| 447 | Foundation for Media Professionals | 7 Apr |
| 655 | Newslaundry Media Pvt. Ltd. | 19 May |
| 722 | DIGIPUB India News Foundation | 27 May |
All against the Union of India. Court case status.
What the court has ordered
- 16 FebNotice issued to the Union of India, returnable 23 March. No stay, no larger bench recorded. Order
- 23 MarInterveners allowed. Union to file its reply in four weeks, rejoinder two weeks after. Order
- 12 MayRegistry notes no reply filed yet. Report
- 7 AugIT ministry added as a respondent in two petitions; reply, if any, within three weeks; all listed 17 Nov. Order · Cause list
Stay and interim-relief applications appear in the headings of these orders, but none is decided in them. We found no order that stays the law.
What this means
The law and its dates are in force. The main duties and the penalties start on 13 May 2027 unless a court orders otherwise, and we have found no order that does. We will update this page after each hearing.
Read the law itself on the DPDP Act, explained, and the penalty caps on the price of a breach. This is an explainer, not legal advice.
Sources, all official: order of 16 Feb 2026 · order of 23 Mar 2026 · order of 7 Aug 2026 · registry report, 13 May 2026 · cause list, 7 Aug 2026.