Sri Lanka’s controversial new law to regulate online content comes into force

Sri Lanka’s draconian law to regulate online content came into effect on Thursday (Feb 1) amid widespread criticism and concern. The law, which rights groups and opposition politicians allege is aimed at stifling free speech, passed last week in the country’s parliament.

What is the bill about?

The Online Safety Bill will give a five-member commission the power to assess and remove the content it considers illegal. Additionally, the members of the so-called “Online Safety Commission” will be appointed by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

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The bill also proposed jail terms and hefty fines for what it considers illegal content and making social media platforms such as Google, Facebook, and X, liable for such content on their platforms.

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The government has said that the law is aimed at battling cyber crime including child abuse, data theft and online fraud, but the critics of the law and opposition politicians have said that it is to suppress free speech and dissent ahead of elections.

The bill was passed on January 24 with a majority of 46 votes in the 225-member house amid protests outside the parliament.

Sri Lanka has reported 8,000 cybercrime complaints in 2023, said Public Security Minister Tiran Alles, on Tuesday (Jan 23) while introducing the bill, adding that “We all agree that we need laws to address these issues. This is why we are bringing this law.”

“It is not to suppress the media or the opposition...Any complaint will be taken up by the commission, who will be appointed by the president and they will decide how to act,” said the Sri Lankan minister.

‘Adamant pursuit’

On Thursday, a Sri Lankan pro-democracy group, March 12 Movement, said that the government’s “adamant pursuit” of the legislation was a “clear indication of its intention to silent dissent and suppress civic activism,” as quoted by BBC.

Additionally, several international rights groups, including Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International, and the United Nations have expressed concerns over the law.

Last year, the UN human rights office said that the law “could potentially criminalize nearly all forms of legitimate expression, creating an environment that has a chilling effect on freedom of expression.”

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“The law would seriously threaten the right to freedom of expression as Sri Lanka prepares for parliamentary and presidential elections later this year,” Meenakshi Ganguly, Deputy Asia Director of HRW, wrote in a statement.

“This legislation is a threat to our democracy,” Harsha de Silva, a lawmaker of Sri Lanka’s main opposition Samagi Jana Balawegaya, told parliament last week.

He added, “This will have a severe negative impact on expanding e-commerce in Sri Lanka, to provide jobs to our youth and help our economy, which is in desperate need of growth.”

(With inputs from agencies)