In the wake of a deadly terrorist attack, the government of Sri Lanka bans social media platforms, leaving some unable to communicate with their loved ones.
On Sunday, six suicide bombers launched a coordinated series of attacks in Sri Lanka that killed at least 290 people and injured hundreds more.
Within hours, the government of the island nation took a drastic step by announcing it would temporarily block all social media platforms in the hopes of stopping the spread of false news reports about the attack — a controversial move that illuminates the dire civic toll of online propaganda.
Sanjana Hattotuwa, a Center for Policy Alternatives researcher, told The Washington Post he noted a “significant uptick” in false reports on social media after Sunday’s bombings, including inaccurate accounts of the death toll.
Two pieces of false information in particular — one blaming the attack on Muslim suicide bombers and one claiming that there was prior warning of it — were widely shared, according to Hattotuwa.
