Parliament begins debating controversial Online Safety Bill

Colombo (News 1st) - The debate over the Online Safety Bill commenced in Parliament on Tuesday (23rd). This followed a vote to determine whether the Bill would be subject to a debate, with 83 votes for, and 50 votes against.

Earlier, parliament sessions were postponed for a party leaders meeting that was requested by the Opposition.

The Online Safety Bill has been widely criticised from many quarters, including the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, IT experts, global social media companies, and advocates for civil liberties.