Internet Shutdowns

Sri Lanka blocked access to social media platforms after the government declared a state of emergency and nationwide curfews to contain protests triggered by the ongoing economic crisis in the country. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission imposed the restrictions on the instruction of the Ministry of Defence. It covered all of Sri Lanka’s major network operators, including Dialog, Hutch, Mobitel, and Sri Lanka Telecom. Cutting off Internet services in times of crisis makes it difficult for people to communicate with loved ones to check on their safety, and leaves them with fewer avenues to obtain accurate information. It can also block access to much-needed emergency services.

Sri Lanka has banned social media again following a reported flare-up in religious tensions, three weeks after a series of suicide bombings rocked the country.Facebook (FB) and its mobile messaging platform WhatsApp were both blocked on Monday, as was another popular messaging app, Viber, a senior Sri Lankan government official said.The platforms were blocked to prevent “social unrest via hate messages and false information,” Nalaka Kaluwewa, director general of the country’s Department of Government Information, told CNN.

Several Social Media websites including Facebook and WhatsApp seem blocked in Sri Lanka again probably to avoid Fake News and spread of hate speech following #Negombo tense situation #LKA#SriLanka

The Sri Lankan government blocked access to social media sites in the aftermath of the attacks that killed at least 207 people, in a bid to stop a spread of misinformation that could lead to further violence.