en.Wedoany.com Reported - Bangladesh's Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed stated in the National Parliament on June 8 that the government has initiated amendments to the Cybersecurity Act (CSA) to curb rumors, disinformation, and the spread of misleading content using defamation and artificial intelligence. The minister made these remarks in response to an urgent public notice raised by ruling party lawmaker Helen Zelin Khan, with the session chaired by Deputy Speaker Kayser Kamal, Attorney.
Ahmed noted that the current act does not cover content that defames the character of key national political figures and their families under the guise of freedom of speech on social media, necessitating amendments. The government is defining a new scope for "cyberspace," encompassing social media, virtual media, and online platforms, and the drafting of the new law has already begun.
The new bill will introduce new definitions for rumors, disinformation, defamation, and confusing content, along with corresponding penalties to prevent their spread on social media. In response to the growing trend of using artificial intelligence to create offensive, repulsive, and defamatory content, the new regulations will enhance coordination with international technology platforms to ensure the swift removal of harmful content from social media.
The minister stated that most requests to remove harmful content currently go unanswered, and the proposed law will mandate removal within a specific timeframe. Additionally, besides law enforcement agencies, other government-approved bodies may also be authorized to remove and block data and content on social networks, with the National Cybersecurity Agency and the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission under consideration.
In response to supplementary questions, Ahmed mentioned that international technology bodies, including Meta, have repeatedly failed to respond to Bangladesh's requests because the current law does not obligate the removal of offensive content. Citing a neighboring country as an example, its legal framework forces Meta to take action on harmful media content within 24 hours, so the new bill will include provisions to compel international platforms to take legal action.
Regarding the Public Gambling Act of 1867, the minister said this colonial-era legislation will be modernized to include online and offline gambling and betting content, with the new bill to be presented in the current parliamentary session. A new drug control law will also be formulated by strengthening the powers of the drug control department, with modernized laboratories, training facilities, canine units, and corresponding legal capacities to be ensured under the proposed new bill.
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