Cabinet Spokesman Minister Vijitha Herath yesterday stated that the Government believes the Online Safety Bill must be amended.
He noted that once a new Parliament is established, the Government will initiate measures to revise the Bill following necessary discussions. He also mentioned that a decision would be taken on whether the Bill requires amendments or if an entirely new Bill needs to be introduced to Parliament.
The Online Safety Bill, initially published in the Sri Lankan Government Gazette in September 2023, was passed by Parliament in January 2024. Although it received majority support, the Opposition argued that certain amendments were inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s rulings. Subsequently, the Supreme Court determined that several provisions of the Online Safety Bill conflicted with the Constitution.
In October, the Government agreed to revise the Bill to align with the Supreme Court’s determinations, which are scheduled for announcement on November 7, 2023.
The Bill’s key objectives include establishing the Online Safety Commission, restricting online communication of certain statements in Sri Lanka, preventing the use of online and inauthentic accounts for prohibited purposes, identifying and declaring online locations used for prohibited activities, and limiting support for false statements of fact spread online.
The post Online Safety Bill to be amended soon – Minister Herath appeared first on DailyNews.