Media companies received government assurances in August that the law would protect press freedom, but no written exemption for journalists was provided, unlike in some countries. (EPA Images pic)NEW DELHI: A group of 21 news publishers, including companies owned by billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani, has challenged India's privacy law in court, arguing it would trample investigative work and let New Delhi identify journalists' sources, documents show.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government last year announced implementation of a privacy law to protect digital personal data of users, raising compliance requirements for platforms like Meta and Google. The publishers have said that since media outlets were not exempt, the law was an invasion of press freedom.