The Sri Lankan government has blocked access to social media sites following the attacks that killed at least 207 people on Easter Sunday. The ban was imposed with the hope it will stop the spread of conspiracy theories that could lead to more violence.
Unsurprisingly, people aren’t happy about it and the ban has drawn criticism from those who are trying to connect with their loved ones. It also raises concerns about Sri Lankans not having access to timely information.
If I don’t reply to your messages it is because WhatsApp and Facebook appears to have been shutdown in Sri Lanka
— Boshers (@RoshniFernando) April 21, 2019
In a statement Udaya R Seneviratne, Secretary to the President, said the government had “taken steps to temporarily block all social media avenues until the investigations are concluded”.
Sri Lankan security personnel walk through debris following an explosion in St Sebastian’s Church in Negombo, north of the capital Colombo, on April 21, 2019.
The eight explosions on churches and hotels injured over 450 people and are being reported as suicide bomb attacks.
According to The Guardian, Facebook said they’re “aware of the government’s statement regarding the temporary blocking of social media platforms”.
“Teams from across Facebook have been working to support first responders and law enforcement as well as to identify and remove content which violates our standards.”
The publication also reports that while Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and WhatsApp have been unavailable since 2pm local time, Twitter is still available.
Our prayers and support are with everyone in Sri Lanka in the wake of the horrific events today ?
We encourage everyone to be responsible and rely on updates from official and trusted sources.
— Viber (@Viber) April 21, 2019
Roshni Fernando, a resident of Columbo, told the Guardian she received unverified information before the social media block.
She said, “Prior to WhatsApp being shut down I was sent a document naming two suicide bombers.” The government has not yet named any of the attackers.
It’s not the first time the Sri Lankan government has shut down social media in the aftermath of violence. In March last year, they also banned the sites after an attack on a Buddhist temple in Abathanna triggered anti-Muslim riots in Kandy.
The Washington Post reports Sanjana Hattotuwa, a senior researcher at Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo who monitors social media for fake news, saw a significant amount of false reports following the bombings.
Mr Hattotuwa also revealed that there were many false reports of the death toll as well as on the rumoured perpetrators. Two stories that were being shared with unverified information included an Indian media reports attributing the attack to Muslim suicide bombers. As well as a tweet from a Sri Lankan minister about a report warning of an attack.
The government has arrested 13 unnamed people in relation to the attacks and, at this stage, no one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.