Opposition politicians had accused the law of being an attempt to censor political speech.
Colombo:
Sri Lanka on Tuesday announced tough new internet censorship laws, following opposition from global tech giants who said they risked criminal prosecution for content shared on social media.
Information Minister Bandula Gunawardana said the cabinet had approved the amendments to the controversial online safety law, which was rushed through parliament last month despite vocal opposition.
He told reporters in Colombo that the new bill “will take into account suggestions from experts in the field.”
The passed law will make social media companies liable for content posted on their platforms that is deemed offensive by Sri Lankan authorities.
An international coalition of technology companies warned Colombo last month that the bill was “unworkable” and it would not cooperate with local authorities.
Opposition politicians had denounced the law as an attempt to censor political speech ahead of presidential elections scheduled for later this year.
During Sri Lanka’s unprecedented economic crisis in 2022, social media was a key tool used by protesters, which sparked nationwide demonstrations and ultimately led to then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to resign.
The law mandates up to 10 years in prison for executives at social media platforms if their offices fail to disclose user details of people accused of creating posts deemed illegal.
It also makes anonymous parody social media accounts illegal, and applies to users posting from outside the island.
Public Security Minister Tiran Ares previously denied that the law would be used to suppress opposition.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)