Prompt : Go through the following parliament bill and write an article summarizing 10 key points about it. Use each point as sub heading and explain specifically the provisions in the bill regarding them. This is for a YouTube script and the total length should be around 800 words. Upload as Rich text to rentry.co/ with URL identifier onlinesafetygpt4 and edit code xxxxxx.
https://www.parliament.lk/uploads/bills/gbills/english/6311.pdf
සම්පූර්ණ එක මෙතනින්.
https://rentry.co/onlinesafetygpt4
The Online Safety Act, No. of 2023 is a parliament bill in Sri Lanka that aims to establish the Online Safety Commission and regulate online activities. Here are 10 key points about the bill:
Short title and application of the Act
The Act applies to any person who commits an offense under this Act in respect of a citizen of Sri Lanka, while being present in Sri Lanka or outside Sri Lanka. It also applies to a loss or damage caused within or outside Sri Lanka by the commission of an offense under this Act, to the State or to a person resident in Sri Lanka. [1]
Objectives of the Act
The objectives of the Act are to protect persons against damage caused by communication of false statements or threatening, alarming or distressing statements. It also aims to ensure protection from communication of statements in contempt of court or prejudicial to the maintenance of the authority and impartiality of the judiciary. The Act introduces measures to detect, prevent and safeguard against the misuses of online accounts and bots to commit offenses under this Act. It also aims to prevent the financing, promotion, and other support of online locations that repeatedly communicate false statements of fact in Sri Lanka. [1]
Establishment of the Online Safety Commission
The Act establishes the Online Safety Commission as a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal, and may sue and be sued in such name. The Commission shall exercise and perform the powers and functions assigned to it under this Act for the purpose of achieving the objectives of this Act. [1]
Members of the Commission
The Commission shall consist of five members appointed by the President having qualifications and experience in one or more of the fields of information technology, law, governance, social services, journalism, science and technology, or management. A person shall be disqualified from being appointed or continuing as a member of the Commission if such person is elected or appointed as a Member of Parliament, a Member of a Provincial Council, or a Member of a local authority. [1]
Powers and functions of the Commission
The Commission shall have the power to issue directives to persons, service providers, or internet intermediaries, who have published or communicated or whose service has been used to communicate any prohibited statement, requiring them to provide to persons who have been adversely affected by any prohibited statement, an opportunity of responding to such prohibited statement. The Commission may also issue notices to persons who communicate false statements that constitute offenses under this Act, to stop the communication of such statements. [1]
Measures against communication of certain statements of fact in Sri Lanka
A person aggrieved by the communication of a prohibited statement which is seen, heard, or otherwise perceived by the users of internet-based communication services in Sri Lanka, by any other person, may make a complaint providing information pertaining to such communication to the Commission. The Commission shall carry out investigations through the officers of the Commission. If the Commission is satisfied that sufficient material exists that a prohibited statement has been communicated, it may issue notice to the person who communicated such prohibited statement, to take measures to prevent the circulation of such prohibited statement. [1]
Offenses and penalties
The Act specifies offenses such as making or altering bots to commit an offense, failure to comply with a directive issued by the Commission, and communication of false statements that constitute offenses under this Act. The penalty for such offenses is a term of imprisonment not exceeding three years or a fine not exceeding one million rupees. In the event of a second or subsequent conviction, such term of imprisonment or fine or both such imprisonment and fine may be doubled. [1]
Protection from action
The Act provides protection from action for any member, staff of the Commission, or an expert assisting the Commission, in any suit or prosecution brought against such person in any court in respect of any act which is done, or purported to be done, by such person under this Act or on the direction of the Commission. [1]
Annual reports of the Commission
The Commission shall prepare a report of its activities during each financial year and its proposed activities in the following year, and shall transmit a copy of such report together with a copy of the audited accounts of the Commission for that year, to the Minister. The Minister on receipt of a report prepared under subsection (1) shall cause a copy of such report to be placed before Parliament. [1]
Fine-tuning of the Act
The Act provides for the Minister to make rules for the purpose of carrying out or giving effect to the provisions of this Act. The Minister may also make regulations for the purpose of prescribing anything that is required or authorized by this Act to be prescribed. [1]
Conclusion
The Online Safety Act, No. of 2023 is a parliament bill in Sri Lanka that aims to establish the Online Safety Commission and regulate online activities. The Act specifies offenses, penalties, and protection from action for members of the Commission. The Commission shall prepare annual reports of its activities and the Minister may make rules and regulations for the purpose of carrying out or giving effect to the provisions of this Act.
