Sri Lankan media rights group Centre for Journalism and Education on June 7th called for transparency in forming the new fake news legislation proposed by the Sri Lankan government earlier this month, and a public discussion of the bill with civil society and community groups. In a statement, the group said that although such laws are needed, it also recognises the "negative import and impact of such legislation if not crafted after diligent and careful consideration". It points out the following issues surrounding the new bill: 1. Scant public information about the bill: The only information available to the public, said the Centre, is the proposed 5-year jail term and Rs 1 million fine prescribed for offenders. The bill will be made public when it's presented to the Parliament, but "this will not be enough time to peruse and understand legislation of such a far-reaching nature", said the Centre. 2. The bill comes with elections around the corner: It also notes that Sri Lanka's national elections are approaching and the bill will likely be presented to voters as a symbol of action being taken at a dire time, and for MPs to be seen voting along party lines. 3. What are the implications of possessing false information, and who will be held liable: The Centre questions what the consequences for possessing fake information would be: for example what about posts another party sends from a person's phone? Who will be held liable for this - the originator, creator, or the platform…
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Sri Lanka’s Centre for Journalism and Education calls for transparency in formation of new fake news legislation
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