Opposition sponsored legislation to repeal Online Safety Act

• Says Online Safety Act was meant to benefit many but it had benefited only a few

By YOHAN PERERA

A private members Bill sponsored by Opposition MP Ravi Karunanayake to repeal the Online Safety Act has already been gazetted and is ready to be presented to Parliament for its approval, Daily Mirror learns

The private members Bill which is expected to be presented to the House next month seeks to repeal all legislations that have been imposed in line with the Act.

Commenting on the move, Mr. Karunanayake told Daily Mirror that the legislation has only helped a handful of people while a vast number of others remain slandered. “The Online Safety Act was meant to benefit many but it had benefited only a few,” he said.

“Also the legislation is not effectively implemented. We need more effective legislation,” he added.

Mr. Karunanayake said he does not expect any opposition from the ruling party for his private members Bill as the ruling National People’s Power (NPP) has also promised to abolish the Act.

The legislation was opposed not only by the Opposition but by international bodies such as Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), a body comprising internet and technology companies in the world. It is a body comprising companies such as Amazon, Apple, Booking.com, Expedia Group, Google, GoTo, Grab, LINE, LinkedIn, Meta, Rakuten, X and Yahoo.

The Online Safety Act provides provisions for the appointment of an online Safety Commission. Accordingly, the President in consultation with the Constitutional Council can appoint suitable persons for the commission. Magistrates Courts are vested with the power to issue an order discontinuing a social media post whenever fake information is published continuously via its platforms