Sri Lanka Parliament passes bill to regulate online content
Al Jazeera
Opposition lawmakers and rights groups say the legislation will stifle debate ahead of elections.
Sri Lanka’s Parliament has passed a hastily proposed bill to regulate online content, sparking criticism from rights groups and opposition politicians that the government is trying to crack down on dissent and stifle freedom of speech ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections this year.
The measure was passed on Wednesday by a 108-62 vote, the speaker announced.
Under the Online Safety Bill, content creators deemed to be posting “illegal” material by a five-member commission will be punished with jail sentences. It also holds companies such as Google, Facebook and X accountable for content posted on their platforms.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government said the bill, presented to the legislature just one day before Wednesday’s vote, was aimed at battling cybercrimes, including child abuse, data theft and online fraud.
The country logged 8,000 cybercrimes last year, said Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, who denied the legislation would impact freedom of speech.
