The NetBlocks observatory said it detected an intentional nationwide blackout of popular services including Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, Snapchat and Viber.
The defence ministry said the shutdown would extend until the government concludes its investigation into the bomb blasts that rocked churches, luxury hotels and other sites.“What we've seen is that when social media is shut down, it creates a vacuum of information that's readily exploited by other parties,” said Alp Toker, executive director of the London-based group. “It can add to the sense of fear and can cause panic.
It isn't the first time Sri Lanka has blocked social media. The government imposed a weeklong ban in March 2018 because of concerns that WhatsApp and other platforms were being used to fan anti-Muslim violence in the country's central region. Facebook, which owns WhatsApp and Instagram, has struggled in recent years to combat the use of its platforms to incite violence and spread hate messages and political propaganda in countries including India, Myanmar and the United States.
Media enemy of the people. Tell the truth
It is so sad to see so much hate in our world.....where is the compassion? The caring and the understanding and the acceptance? So very sad...😢
I couldn’t sleep last night after those attacks. Sri Lanka is my home country. My heart goes out to those affected by this senseless act of violence. Nobody deserves to be attacked because of their religion. Words cannot describe how sad I am🙏🏽😢💔
Why?
So what happens if you’re a tourist and need them to contact family or get out of the country? This is a terrible tragedy, but IMO that would stress me wayyyy out.
What a crappy country