The Online Safety Bill is being worked on and planned to be submitted to the Parliament on January 23, Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said yesterday (4). The Minister made this statement during his speech at the launch of the hotline number and the website introduced to inform about crimes related to women and children which was held at the Police Child and Women Abuse Prevention Bureau yesterday.
Speaking on this Bill, Minister Tiran Alles said that they are working to submit the Online Safety Bill without giving into any external pressures by several groups and organizations including international organizations and embassies who have opposed the implementation of the bill from its initial stages. The Minister said that the Online Safety Bill will be submitted to Parliament on January 23 and any suggestions or ideas can be given on the Bill until January 8.
After receiving the suggestions and ideas, the possibility of including them will be considered, he said.
Minister Alles emphasized that the decision to expedite in submitting the Online Safety Bill has been made by paying special attention to more than 3,000 complaints that were received last year (2023) related to social media abuse to carry out crime related and fraudulent activities.
The Minister further said that the goal of all these security measures that are being carried out and implemented is to ensure safety and security of the country’s children and to safeguard their future.
The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka determined that the Online Safety bill or its provisions are not inconsistent with the Constitution last year (2023).
The Court further revealed that the bill can be passed by a simple majority following committee-stage amendments on certain Clauses.
The Online Safety Bill was published in the Sri Lankan Government Gazette in September 2023.
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.
Upon it being gazetted, at least 45 petitions were filed at the Supreme Court challenging the bill, with many raising concerns that it violates the fundamental rights of the public.
In October 2023, the Attorney General informed the Supreme Court that the government had decided to make certain amendments to the Online Safety Bill before submitting it to the Parliament.
Varuna Dayaratne