The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to publish the revised Online Safety Bill in the government gazette and to table it in Parliament.
In line with the decision given by the Supreme Court on the draft bill on the security of online methods known as ‘Online Safety Bill’, and subsequent to being passed in Parliament, the Security of Online Methods Act No. 9 of 2024 is now in operation, the Department of Government Information (DGI) said.
Before the bill was passed in the Parliament, the experts in the field have expressed their concerns for amendments of certain sections in the bill, yet there was no possibility to include such amendment proposals in the bill at the committee stage, it added.
Therefore, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on February 12, 2024 to prepare a draft bill to amend the Security of Online Methods Act No. 9 of 2024 with the said amendments.
Accordingly, clearance of the Attorney General has been received to the draft bill prepared by the Legal Draftsman.
Thus, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the proposal forwarded by the Minister of State Defence to publish the said draft bill in the government gazette notification and subsequently present the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
