Supreme Court Restricts Police Access To Digital Footprints
· India · Times of India, Hindustan Times
The Supreme Court has ruled that police cannot force social media platforms to provide an accused person's digital footprints for periods unrelated to the specific crime under investigation. The bench, led by CJI Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, quashed a Ghaziabad Police order that sought data from 'X' regarding journalist Abhishek Upadhyay. The court stated that police must apply principles of proportionality and only seek such data after exhausting other investigative methods. This ruling follows a case where the journalist was accused of a road rage incident in August 2026, though he argued the investigation was a pretext to uncover his sources regarding a separate report on temple donations. The court maintained its interim order protecting the journalist from arrest.
Why it matters
This precedent limits the ability of law enforcement to conduct broad digital surveillance, reinforcing privacy protections for individuals under investigation.
Read the original report — Times of India
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