Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has raised concerns over the government’s conduct concerning the recently passed Online Safety Bill.
Issuing a statement, TISL said “it was appalled by the outrageous conduct of the Government, Parliament, Attorney General and the Speaker on the Bill.”
TISL further said it is concerned over the signing off on a version of the Online Safety Act that does not contain several of the amendments required by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka.
The Online Safety Bill was passed in the Parliament of Sri Lanka on January 24, 2024, with a majority of MPs supporting the bill, despite the Opposition claiming that the amendments proposed were not consistent with the Supreme Court’s determination.
The Online Safety Bill was published in the Sri Lankan Government Gazette in September 2023, after which the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka determined that several provisions of the Bill were not consistent with the Constitution.
Thereafter, in October, the government agreed to revise the Bill in accordance with the Supreme Court’s determinations and presented the revised Bill to Parliament in January.
Key objectives of the bill include establishing the Online Safety Commission, making provisions to prohibit online communication of certain statements of fact in Sri Lanka, preventing the use of online accounts and inauthentic online accounts for prohibited purposes, making provisions to identify and declare online locations used for prohibited purposes in Sri Lanka, and to suppress the financing and other support of communication of false statements of fact. (NewsWire)
