Sri Lanka government lifts ban on social media
The shutdown, which started soon after the April 21st Easter attacks, affected major services, inclu
COLOMBO (Reuters) – The Sri Lankan government lifted a ban on social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber, on Tuesday (April 30) after the sites were barred on hopes of putting a stop to the spread of rumours after the Easter Sunday bombings.
The move was welcomed by many local residents who hoped to gain more information , as the city slowly recovers from the deadly attacks.
Sri Lankan security forces were maintaining a high level of alert amid intelligence reports that the militants were likely to strike before the beginning of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which is due to begin next Monday (May 6).
Scores of suspected Islamists have been arrested in the multi-ethnic island nation after the April 21 suicide bomb attacks on hotels and churches that killed more than 250 people, including 42 foreign nationals.
The shutdown, which started soon after the April 21st Easter attacks, affected major services, including Facebook and YouTube.
The government said the ban was necessary to prevent the spread of misinformation following the bombings on churches and hotels as NY Times reported.
More than 250 people were killed in the attacks, which ISIS has claimed responsibility for.
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The decision generated debate about the politics of social media access in an emergency, but the effectiveness of the ban has not been obvious. While not unheard of, a nine-day shutdown is a notable gap in service, according to data on similar blackouts published by Facebook.
The country also shut down Facebook and WhatsApp last year for about a week in an effort to stop mob violence.
Despite lifting the ban, the Sri Lankan government, in a statement received by the Times, sounded a note of caution, asking people “to use social media responsibly even though the ban is lifted, due to the prevailing situation in the country.”
