Online Safety Bill will drive final nail into coffin of Lanka’s democratic values: Chief Opp Whip

By Saman Indrajith

The Online Safety Bill would be the final nail in the coffin of the country’s democratic values, Chief Opposition Whip and Kandy District SJB MP Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament yesterday.

Kiriella said so, registering the Opposition’s protest against the Bill soon after it was presented to the House by Public Security Minister Tiran Alles.

“We, as a nation are already on the dock for failing to uphold democratic values. This would take us a step further towards the gallows,” Kiriella said, condemning the Bill as an assault on democracy.

The Bill seeks to provide for the setting up a five-member commission by the President with powers to block any social media account, prosecute, fine and even imprison individuals.

The Online Safety Bill, dated 15 of September 2023, was gazetted by the order of the Minister of Public Security.

The Online Safety Bill presented to the House yesterday contains provisions to establish the Online Safety Commission; to make provisions to prohibit online communication of certain statements of facts in Sri Lanka; and to prevent the use of online accounts and inauthentic online accounts for prohibited purposes, and other related matters.

Subject to the provisions of section 6, the Commission shall consist of five members appointed by the President and the term of office of a member of the Commission shall be three years from the date of its appointment.

As per the Online Safety Bill, the commission members shall have qualifications and experience in one or more of the fields of information technology, law, governance, social services, journalism, science and technology or management.

The Commission will have the power to issue directives to persons, service providers or internet intermediaries, who have published or communicated or whose service has been used to communicate any prohibited statement, requiring them to provide to persons who have been adversely affected by any prohibited statement, an opportunity of responding to such prohibited statement.

The Commission will have the power to issue notices to any internet access service providers or internet intermediary to disable access to an online location which contains a prohibited statement by the end users in Sri Lanka or to remove such prohibited statement from such online location.

SLPP dissident MP Prof. Peiris told Parliament that every citizen has the right to challenge a Bill before the Supreme Court within 14 days of its presenting to the House, but the government presented yesterday’s Bill irestricting that period to seven days.

Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapakse said that the the 14-day period would commence from yesterday.