Speaker of Parliament Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne yesterday (30) endorsed the certificate on the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, marking its formal enactment as the Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Act No. 22 of 2025.

The Bill, which underwent its third reading on 21 October 2025, was passed by Parliament with several amendments. It seeks to amend the Personal Data Protection Act, No. 9 of 2022 to strengthen provisions and address key issues identified during its initial implementation phase.

Originally published in the Gazette on 27 March 2025, the Bill was presented to Parliament by the Minister of Digital Economy on 8 May 2025. It introduces crucial updates aimed at improving the regulatory framework for data protection and digital governance in Sri Lanka.

Under the new amendments, Sections 1, 12, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 52, 53, 56, and Schedule VI of the principal Act have been revised. In addition, Section 26 has been replaced, and a new Section 51A has been introduced to further strengthen the Act.

The amended law underscores the importance of establishing an institutional mechanism to exercise regulatory powers and prepare for future developments in data governance. It aims to support both the public and private sectors in adopting digital strategies while ensuring that the rights of data subjects are effectively safeguarded.