Journalists Fear New Data Law Jeopardizes Press Freedom and Source Protection

Imagine there's a new rulebook for how companies and the government can handle people's private information, called the Data Act.

Some journalists and news groups in India are very worried about this new rulebook.

They think it has parts that could stop them from doing their jobs properly.

One big worry is that the government might be able to force journalists to tell them who gave them secret information, like a whistleblower.

Journalists say this is bad because people won't trust them with important tips if they can't promise to keep secrets.

They also worry that the government could shut down news websites if they don't follow all the rules perfectly, which feels like censorship.

There are also concerns about new rules for handling information about children, making it hard to report news about them quickly.

Big penalties are also part of the rules, which could shut down small news companies.

The journalists are asking for their work to be treated differently, so they can continue to report important stories without fear.