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New legislation to prevent sharing of false information over telephones
By Yohan Perera and Ajith Siriwardana
Colombo, May 11 (Daily Mirror)- The Sri Lanka Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill which seeks to penalize those who share false information over the telephone and cause public commotion was presented to Parliament.
According to the Bill which was presented to the House by Leader of the House Susil Premajayayantha, a person who persistently makes telephone calls, or sends, transmits messages, publishes, sends or transmits phone numbers of other subscribers without reasonable excuse for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety to any telecommunication officer or any person, on conviction will be subjected to a fine not exceeding rupees hundred thousand. There is also a provision to disconnect telephone connections of a person who commits such offences.
Every person who wilfully makes telephone calls or sends or transmits messages with the intention of causing public commotion or disrupting public tranquillity will be subjected to a fine not exceeding rupees one million or imprisonment or both. In the event an offence is committed continuously, the offender will be fined rupees one thousand five hundred each day on which the offence is committed.
In addition, any person giving misleading information, giving false information to any telecommunication officer will also be fined rupees one hundred thousand. Telecommunication apparatus to pass false information will be forfeited to the state by an order of a magistrate.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission will be empowered by the Bill to monitor, manage and protect the submarine cables laid within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. The Sri Lanka Navy, Department of Coast Guard and Sri Lanka police will be used for this purpose.
The Bill further provides provisions to allow radio service providers to enter into interconnection agreements.
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