Sri Lanka to bring new laws for Online Safety

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Sri Lankan government is preparing to introduce new laws that would make it an offense to communicate false information online and to incite riots via such false information.

The relevant draft bill for these new laws had been drafted, and the Cabinet had granted its approval to publish the draft bill via gazette and produce it to the parliament for approval. 

The Department of Government Information said that the draft bill approved by the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday (4) is titled the Draft Bill on the Security of Online Methods.

The draft bill was produced by the Minister of Public Security, and details offenses that are carried out via online methods.

The following actions have been interpreted as offenses in the draft bill: 

- Communication of false statements on the incidents within Sri Lanka

- False statements causing defamation

- Pave way for riots by provocation without reason

- Disturbing a religious assembly through false statements

- Communication of false statements with the sole intention of hurting religious emotions

- Communication of false statements with the sole intention for the abomination of religious emotions

- Fraud

- Cheating by impersonation

- Defaming intentionally by a false statement with the objective of violating the peace

- Circulation of false statements with the intention of causing a riot or an offense against the Government

- Communication of statements on incidents to cause harassment.

- Child abuse

- Production of bots or modifying them for causing an offense