The revised Online Safety Bill (OSB) is scheduled to be tabled in Parliament in late January next year, according to government sources.

The sources said President Ranil Wickremesinghe has advised his Parliamentary Affairs Advisor Prof Ashu Marasinghe to coordinate with the Ministry of Public Security to expedite the process.

The revised Bill will be in accordance with the Supreme Court’s determinations announced on November 07, 2023, according to an official of the Public Security Ministry.

Following the decision by Public Security Minister Tiran Alles to consult tech companies on the draft Bill, a delegation led by Ministry Secretary Viyani Gunattilleke was in Singapore holding discussions with social media companies on the draft legislation. Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), the tech industry collective facilitated these meetings for the ministry delegation.

According to sources, AIC has agreed to provide detailed inputs for the Bill by early January after consulting all its member companies.

At a meeting with a group of civil society representatives and media experts, the minister has also agreed to follow a consultative process in revising the law.

Later at a bilateral meeting with the UN Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka, Marc-Andre Franche, the minister had requested assistance from the UN to further strengthen the Bill through international inputs.

However, the President has instructed Prof Marasingha last week to expedite the process and make arrangements to table the Bill in Parliament on January next year without further delaying the Bill