Online Safety Bill to be presented to Parliament on January 23: Minister

Colombo, Jan 05 (Daily Mirror) - Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said that steps will be taken to present the Online Safety Bill to Parliament on January 23. 

The Minister said that international organizations, embassies and various groups are expressing opinions against the bill.

"We are working to submit the Online Safety Bill proposal on January 23 without being influenced by external pressures," he said during his address at the launch event for a hotline and website dedicated to reporting crimes against women and children.

The Minister said stakeholders can provide suggestions or feedback on the bill till January 8.

"The purpose of doing all these is to ensure the safety of the children and women of the country. But unfortunately, some politicians and sections of the country express their opinions against them," he said.

The Minister said the decision to expedite the submission of the Online Safety Bill stems from the attention given to over 3,000 complaints received during the previous year (2023) related to social media abuse, facilitating criminal activities and fraud.

Minister Alles reiterated that the Supreme Court determined last year that the Bill and its provisions align with the Constitution.