• Comm. chaired by SC Judge to consult public 

The Online Safety Act, No. 9 of 2024 (OSA) will be amended following a comprehensive public consultation to make it a 'people-friendly' piece of legislation, said the Cabinet Spokesperson and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, at the weekly Cabinet media briefing held yesterday (27).

This follows the approval granted at the Cabinet of Ministers meeting held on 9 February of this year to amend the OSA. Accordingly, taking into account the joint Cabinet memorandum presented by the Ministers of Mass Media, Public Security, and Justice, the Cabinet agreed to appoint a committee comprising representatives of all the relevant sectors, chaired by a Judge of the Supreme Court (SC). This committee will be tasked with recommending amendments to the said Act, including both the already identified amendments and those that may be recognised through public consultations.

Speaking further, Minister Dr. Jayatissa stated that the Government is of the view that such legislation is necessary to address misconduct occurring on social media platforms. “People have no protection when something happens on a social media platform. In parallel with the advancements of these platforms, there should be a framework to regulate and address related issues. This is merely to protect the citizens, not to protect the Government. The previous Government brought this to protect themselves and to repress the general public. To that we were opposed,” he said.

He further noted that the committee was appointed to consult the public and make the legislation more people-friendly. “We will accommodate the suggestions of the people. We intend to bring in this Act with these amendments,” he added.

The Act was first published in the Government Gazette in September 2023 and passed by the Parliament in January 2024. It was introduced to address issues related to online safety, misinformation, and cyber harassment. While the Bill received majority support in the Parliament, Opposition parties raised concerns, arguing that certain amendments did not comply with the SC’s ruling on its constitutionality. 

In response to these concerns, the Government agreed in October 2024 to revise the legislation to better align with the SC’s determinations issued on 7 November 2023. Consequently, the Online Safety (Amendment) Bill was published in the Government Gazette and tabled in the Parliament in August 2024. However, it was not passed due to widespread criticism from various sectors.