Slowdown of social media platforms as TRC starts monitoring content

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) says the public can expect a general slowdown of social media platforms as instructions have been given to monitor and filter their content. 

A TRC official told Times Online that content in social media platforms is being filtered on the instructions of the Ministry of Defence. He stated that the instructions had come through from the Ministry following the declaration of a State of Emergency yesterday due to communal disturbances in the Kandy district. 

Accordingly, content on social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp and Viber are being monitored and content deemed to be inciting violence and those found to be fake will be filtered out, the official explained.

He said special attention is being given to Facebook, given that much of the false information and incitement to violence was being carried out through that particular social media site. 

"We have just started to filter out content so users will experience a slowdown, but we expect services to resume as normal soon," he added. 

Meanwhile, Dialog Axiata, the country's largest internet service provider, stated on Twitter that based on instructions from the TRC, internet access in the Kandy district (3G and 4G) have been restricted until further notice.