Sri Lanka parliament passes bill to regulate online content

An activist performs as he wears social media logos on his shirt during a protest near the parliament as Sri Lanka's parliament readies to pass an Online Safety Bill that the government says is needed to deal with online fraud, abuse and false statements that impact national security, but which opponents of the bill warn could suppress free speech, in Colombo, Sri Lanka January 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

Activists shouts slogans during a protest near parliment as Sri Lanka's parliament readies to pass an Online Safety Bill that the government says is needed to deal with online fraud, abuse and false statements that impact national security, but which opponents of the bill warn could suppress free speech, in Colombo, Sri Lanka January 24, 2024. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

An employee operates a newspaper printing machine as Sri Lanka's parliament readies to pass an Online Safety Bill that the government says is needed to deal with online fraud, abuse and false statements that impact national security, but which opponents of the bill warn could suppress free speech, in Colombo, Sri Lanka January 23, 2024. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

An employee packs newly printed newspapers at a newspaper printing factory as Sri Lanka's parliament readies to pass an Online Safety Bill that the government says is needed to deal with online fraud, abuse and false statements that impact national security, but which opponents of the bill warn could suppress free speech, in Colombo, Sri Lanka January 23, 2024. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte

Updated

Published

Jan 24, 2024, 08:01 PM

COLOMBO - Sri Lanka's lawmakers passed a bill to regulate online content on Wednesday, the speaker of the parliament announced, a law which opposition politicians and activists say will muzzle free speech.

The Online Safety Bill proposes jail terms for posting content that a five-member commission considers illegal and makes social media platforms such as Google, Facebook and X liable for messages on their platforms. REUTERS

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