The government plans to advance the Online Safety Bill on January 23, disregarding the insistence of civil society organizations for a three-month consultative process, according to information obtained by the Daily Mirror.
Initially presented in Parliament, the bill faced legal challenges in the Supreme Court, which proposed amendments in its determination, emphasizing the necessity of enacting such legislation for online safety.
Simultaneously, civil society movements advocated for a three-month consultation period to gather input from industry stakeholders, a process that included representatives traveling to Singapore for discussions.
The bill draws significant inspiration from Singapore’s Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA).
Professor Ashu Marasinghe, the presidential advisor on parliamentary affairs, confirmed that the bill would be subject to debate and enactment during the parliamentary week commencing January 23.
Public Security Minister Tiran Alles noted that the ministry anticipates input from industry stakeholders such as Google and Facebook to be incorporated into the final enactment of the bill. Source – Daily Mirror
