Sri Lanka to amend laws on fake news

Colombo, June 6 (IANS) The Sri Lankan government has decided to amend laws regarding the circulation of fake news on the social media, with five-year jail terms for those found guilty, the media reported on Thursday.

The Cabinet of Ministers on Wednesday gave the approval to amend the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code to take action against false news distribution and hate statements, reports the Daily Mirror.

Besides the prison term, the Cabinet also approved to impose a fine of 1 million SL rupees ($5,650) on the offenders.

The Sri Lankan government had temporarily banned social media platforms across the country in an effort to curb the spread of false information immediately after the April 21 Easter Sunday suicide attacks in the island nation that killed over 250 people.