Cyber Law Amendments Threaten Civil Liberties

While acknowledging the technical necessity of combating cybercrimes and unauthorized digital access, Human Rights Support Society (HRSS) raised serious concerns that vague provisions in the draft Cyber Protection (Amendment) Act, 2026 severely threaten constitutional rights and digital expression.

Thursday, September 17, 2026: The rights watchdog highlighted that while legal remedies are necessary to curb online harassment, sextortion, identity theft, and child abuse, the proposed amendment introduces broad, punitive parameters. The organization cautioned that finalizing the legislation in its current formulation risks repeating historical misuses observed under previous ICT and digital security legal frameworks.

A primary concern involves proposed penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment or a BDT 4 million fine for spreading "unverified" or "distorted" information. HRSS stated that criminalizing unverified material overlooks operational newsroom reporting, observational data, and investigative scrutiny. Furthermore, incorporating subjective offenses like defamation and bullying into Section 25—originally formulated to protect women and children from severe abuse—carries maximum penalties of five years imprisonment or a BDT 2 million fine, creating dangerous avenues for criminalizing political satire and dissent.

The amendments also draw critique for equating content sharing with primary distribution under Section 27, creating criminal exposure for sharing AI-generated media, parodies, or memes without explicit public interest exceptions. Granting administrative bodies and the information ministry sweeping authority to block content or suspend enterprise platform licenses without judicial warrants breaches natural justice principles. HRSS submitted nine specific demands urging independent multi-stakeholder governance, judicial oversight for content takedowns, clear technical definitions, and broad consultations before enactment.
//DBTech/DBD/MIST//