Sri Lanka was hit by multiple coordinated bombings yesterday which happens to be Easter Sunday, a major celebration for the Christian community. With over 200 people were killed and 450 more injured by the bombings, the country has temporarily shut down a number of social media platforms to stop misinformation about the bombing from spreading.
The affected social media platforms mostly belong under the Facebook umbrella, which includes Instagram and WhatsApp. Another platform that’s been blocked is Viber, while Twitter appears to be unaffected by the ban.
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Alongside the social media ban, a curfew was also put into place. The Sri Lankan government set a nationwide curfew from 6:00 PM yesterday to 6:00 AM today although it is unclear if the curfew will be stretched to multiple days.
This isn’t the first time Sri Lanka has blocked access to social media. Last year in March, the country has done the same in response to religious riots.
(Source: The New York Times / The Washington Post via CNET / Reuters – [1], [2].)
