The reason for Sri Lanka’s internet freedom decline
A report reveals the reason for Sri Lanka’s internet freedom decline.
Sri Lanka’s internet freedom declined during the period of June 2021 to May 2022 due to Government attempts to repress online activities related to protests around the economic crisis, the Freedom on the Net report 2022 said.
“Internet freedom in Sri Lanka declined during the coverage period as the government sought to repress historic protests. Prompted by government mismanagement of an economic crisis, Sri Lankans began mobilizing in March 2022, including on social media. The protests coalesced into the Aragalaya (Struggle), a countrywide mobilization calling for reforms to the country’s political culture. In response to the protests, authorities briefly blocked social media platforms, arrested online activists and journalists reporting on the movement, and passed new criminal penalties to bar purportedly false information. Despite these restrictions, Sri Lankans continued to engage in digital activism around a broad range of issues.” explained in the overview of the report.
In April 2022, the Government briefly blocked multiple social media and communications platforms. Emergency regulations imposed in April and May sought to curb dissent by barring the spread of purportedly false information, including online.
Law enforcement officials continued to arrest, detain, and intimidate internet users, including journalists, for online posts which spoke about the Aragalaya – Struggle.
