Lanka votes on law to regulate online content

COLOMBO, Jan 24 (Reuters): Sri Lanka's lawmakers are set to vote on a social media regulation bill on Wednesday which opposition politicians and activists allege will muzzle free speech.
The Online Safety Bill proposes jail terms for content that a five-member commission considers illegal and make social media platforms such as Google, Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, liable for those posted on their platforms.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe's government says the bill is aimed at battling cyber crimes including child abuse, data theft and online fraud.
Voting was expected later on Wednesday, a day after the bill was introduced in the parliament for the lawmakers to debate on. The main party backing Wickremesinghe has a majority in the parliament.
"Sri Lanka had 8,000 cyber crimes complaints last year. We all agree that we need laws to address these issues. This is why we are bringing this law," Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said on Tuesday while introducing the bill.
"It is not to suppress the media or the opposition... Any complaint will be taken up by the commission, who will be appointed by the president and they will decide how to act."