By Olindhi Jayasundere

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) said today that it would not impose any new regulations on news websites despite recent reports which stated otherwise.

Recent reports suggested that the TRC will be introducing new regulations for news websites following a court directive to the TRC to temporarily suspend the Lanka e News website until the ongoing court proceedings with regard to the news website are completed.

TRC Director General, Anusha Palpita told the Daily Mirror that no decision has been made to introduce any new regulations for news websites. “The TRC has not made any new regulations for news websites or any other websites and will not do so unless we are requested to by a court decision,” Palpita.

He said that it is only the Ministry of Mass Media and Communications that has the authority to make new regulations for local news websites and stated that no such decision has been made.

Lanka e News website was shut down temporarily after a journalist of the news site, Shantha Wijesuriya was remanded for allegedly producing false news stories in Lanka e News.