Dimuth Pashitha Athapaththu appointed Director General of Data Protection Authority

25-Mar-2026

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Sri Lanka Administrative Service officer Dimuth Pashitha Athapaththu has been appointed as the new Director General of the Data Protection Authority, with effect from March 5, 2026.

This permanent appointment marks a significant milestone in implementing the Personal Data Protection Act and strengthening the country’s privacy framework.

Previously serving as Director at the Ministry of Digital Economy, Athapaththu has also held key positions at the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team and the Ministry of Defence.

Holding postgraduate degrees in Computer Science and Information Systems from the Universities of Colombo and Melbourne, he also brings extensive private sector experience. Under his leadership, the Authority aims to enhance digital trust by promoting a culture of secure data governance. The phased implementation of the data protection law is expected to follow.