Parliament General Secretary Kushani Rohanadheera has officially confirmed that Parliament Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena has endorsed the certificate related to the Online Safety Bill.
The Online Safety Bill, which underwent amendments, was successfully passed in parliament on January 23rd. However, following its approval, concerns were raised by opposition Members of Parliament, who asserted that the bill was passed without due consideration for the amendments submitted by the Supreme Court.
In response to these concerns, both the opposition and activists urged the speaker to withhold the endorsement of the certificate for the Online Safety Bill until it is verified that the amendments put forth by the court have been duly incorporated.
The primary objective of the Online Safety Bill is to regulate online content in Sri Lanka. Nevertheless, critics caution that its implementation may result in censorship and the stifling of free speech.
