Compliance

Service provider / intermediary

Entities that host, transmit, store or provide access to digital content or services.

What it triggers

  • Under the Bangladesh Digital Security Act, 2018, such providers are subject to duties to preserve data, cooperate with authorised investigators, and comply with lawful content removal or blocking orders.source
  • Under the Bangladesh Digital Security Act, 2018, which has been repealed, such providers required to preserve data, cooperate with authorised investigators, and comply with lawful content removal or blocking orders until it was repealed.source

Definition

Any person or entity providing network, transmission, hosting, platform or other intermediary services that facilitate publication, access or dissemination of digital information; such providers are subject to duties to preserve data, cooperate with authorised investigators, and comply with lawful content removal or blocking orders under the Act.

Not to be confused with

Intermediary

The intermediary term focuses specifically on entities handling electronic records for others, while service provider / intermediary encompasses a broader range of network, transmission, hosting, and platform services facilitating digital information.

Digital service provider

Digital service provider emphasises entities that own or operate a digital service and control data processing, whereas service provider / intermediary covers a wider array of providers facilitating publication, access or dissemination without necessarily controlling data.

Questions and answers

What duties do service providers have under the Digital Security Act?

Service providers must preserve data, cooperate with authorised investigators, and comply with lawful content removal or blocking orders. These duties applied under the Bangladesh Digital Security Act, 2018, which has been repealed.

Does service provider include hosting or platform services?

Yes, the term covers any person or entity providing network, transmission, hosting, platform or other intermediary services that facilitate publication, access or dissemination of digital information.

Is the Digital Security Act still in force for service providers?

No, the Bangladesh Digital Security Act, 2018 has been repealed, so its duties for service providers / intermediaries no longer apply.