Sri Lanka cuts off access to social networks to curb violence
In an effort to curb extremist violence in Sri Lanka, government officials have ordered some social networks to shut down. ABC News’ anonymous source says that the blockage affects Facebook, Instagram, Viber and WhatsApp, specifically. In capital Colombo, some are blocked wholesale while others have apparently been slowed down considerably. Officials are using traditional means to counter the attacks, like instituting a curfew.
In the past, Turkey has done similar, censoring tweets and condemning social media as “the worst menace to society.” Late last year, Congo ordered cuts to the internet and SMS to slow down protesters. And less than a day after that instance, Iranian officials blocked mobile access to Instagram and Telegram. For those keeping track at home, this is what it looks like when free speech is being squashed by the government.
We’ve reached out to the affected companies for more information and will update this post should it arrive.
Source: ABC News
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