On April 16, the High Court of Delhi will hear the first legal challenges to India’s new internet rules, which have raised serious concerns over user privacy and the government’s push to control digital content. The petition was filed by the Foundation for Independent Journalism, the trust that publishes The Wire, an Indian news and opinion website. 

The new rules, formally called the Information Technology (Guidelines of Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, will impact global news publishers and a wide range of social media and communication platforms, including Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp.