Petition filed against Online Safety Bill

COLOMBO: A petition against the Online Safety Bill was filed before the Supreme Court.

The relevant petition, filed by social activist and independent journalist Tharindu Uduwaragedara, claims that specific provisions of the Bill do not comply with the Constitution of Sri Lanka.

The petitioner further claimed that provisions of the Online Safety Bill violated certain fundamental human rights, including the right to freedom of speech and expression.

Thus, Uduwaragedara filed the petition seeking a court order that for the Bill to be passed, it must be done with a two-thirds majority in parliament and a referendum.

The much-debated Online Safety Bill was tabled in parliament this morning by Minister of Security Tiran Alles, despite being under fire for some of its problematic aspects.

The Bill, published in the government gazette recently, aims to prohibit online communication of certain statements within the country, prevent the use of online accounts – both authentic and inauthentic – for the benefit of prohibited purposes, to make provisions to identify and declare online locations used for restricted purposes, to suppress the financing and other support of communication of false statements and for other matters connected therewith.