The Cabinet of Ministers has granted approval to gazette and table the revised Online Safety Bill in Parliament. 

In per with the decision given by the Supreme Court on the draft bill on the security of online methods, and subsequent to being passed the draft bill in Parliament, the Security of Online Methods Act No. 9 of 2024 is now in operation. 

Before the bill was passed at 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.

Therefore, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 12.02. 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. 

Whereas the Cabinet of Ministers 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.