Sri Lanka needs Online Safety Act - State Minister Kanaka Herath

Colombo (News 1st) - State Minister of Technology Kanaka Herath stated that Sri Lanka is in need of an Online Safety Act to regulate social media.

He made these comments during an adjournment motion presented by the ruling faction highlighting the importance of regulating social media and formulating relevant laws in Parliament on Tueday (07).

"SLCERT is empowered to regulate this. They will initiate a program in this regard. Regulating it is highly important" he added.

State Minister of Power and Energy Indika Anuruddha echoed similar sentiments adding that he "will make that request from the Minister, sincerely."

Earlier in the debate, SLPP MP Madura Vithanage referred to measures taken in other countries "to prevent the use of social media to breach an individual's privacy. I propose to this house that such measures should be adopted in Sri Lanka expeditiously."

"America is planning on banning TikTok soon," SLPP MP Kokila Gunawardena stated. "Even the incidents that occurred on the 9th of May 2022 could have been reduced to a large extent if there weren't such lax regulations on social media" she added.

"Politicians are not allowed to make decisions. Even good decision cannot be published on the media because they are always criticized on social media. It is indeed a serious issue," SLPP MP Kapila Athukorala lamented.