Social media ban

Any individuals, groups or organizations involved publishing false news, information, images, interviews or any other form of publications that could provoke communal/racial tensions, public disturbance or disunity among the people is liable for prosecution under Emergency Regulations, currently in force. Laws under Emergency Regulations will be strictly enforced against persons, groups or organizations that use […]

Issuing a press release National Media Centre of the Ministry of Defence warns that action will be taken against persons involved in circulating false information under the Emergency Regulations and anyone who is found guilty of committing such offences may be imprisoned to 3 to 5 years. The press release follows: A number of incidents of […]

Image: A young boy lights a candle at a grave after a funeral for a person killed in the Easter Sunday attack on St. Sebastian’s Church, on Thursday in Negombo, Sri Lanka. Carl Court/Getty Images. In a country with tight government controls on traditional media, social media is a double-edged but necessary sword. By  Yudhanjaya Wijeratne. COLOMBO, […]

The Sri Lanka Chapter of the South Asian Free Media Association welcomes moves to curb abuse of internet social media but warns that State interference may only open new ways to suppress freedom of expression. We say: let the industry self-regulate social media. SAFMA Sri Lanka is alarmed at the continued use of internet social media […]

Image: Ceylon Today cartoon by MD Weeraratne. As the violence that affected parts of the Kandy District quietly moves into the history of ethno-religious confrontation in the country, society is faced with a new situation and issue of considerable importance that arose from the violence of recent days. It is the issue of handling Social Media, […]