Sri Lanka must avoid digital economy racing ahead of trust architecture

Supreme Court Judge Arjuna Obeyesekere cautions, delivering key note at 2nd National Data Protection Symposium Notes Personal Data Protection Act is foundation, not guarantee, of digital trust Questions readiness of laws to deal with rising Al-driven decision-making mechanisms amid concerns about fairness and accountability Data Protection Authority Chairman Rajeeva Bandaranaike maps out next steps toward operationalising the regulatory body

- 

SRI Lanka's digital economy is advancing faster than the trust architecture required to sustain it, creating a growing risk to adoption, confidence and long-term economic value, Supreme Court Judge Arjuna Obeyesekere said yesterday.

Delivering the keynote address at the 2nd National Data Protection Symposium organised by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka, Justice Obeyesekere said the country had moved from preparing for a digital economy to operating within one, even as public confidence in how personal data is governed remains fragile.

"In 2022, this law represented hope. In 2026, it represents urgency," he said, referring to Sri Lanka's Personal Data Protection Act. What was once a future-oriented framework is now a live economic necessity, he added.

SRI Lanka, he said, is already experiencing a rapid shift in everyday economic behaviour. QR codes have replaced printed material, mobile wallets are becoming more common than physical cash, knowyour-customer processes have moved from paper to pixels, and real-time transfers and platform-based commerce are now routine.

"These are no longer emerging tools. They are the layers of everyday life," Obeyesekere said.

Yet trust, he warned, does not automatically follow technological adoption. "Digital trust does not begin with the technology in my hand. It begins with whether I feel confident, protected and in control of what happens next." The Government has roadmap to unlock Sri Lanka's digital potential which will create $15 billion in value in ten years.

He argued that trust in a cash-light economy is rooted in data sovereignty. "People choose to transact digitally not because they must, but because they trust the system," he said, adding that once individuals feel they have lost control over their identity or personal information, efficiency becomes irrelevant.

"The moment that sovereignty is lost, speed becomes irrelevant, because trust collapses," he said.