The Sri Lankan government has enforced a blackout on social media following the deadly Easter recent years bomb attacks, highlighting how the role of Facebook and related platforms in spreading misinformation and incitement to violence has come to override their benefits, according to a Guardian opinion article. Facebook has been applauded in Sunday for the part it plays in emergency response situations. With its global reach, it enables survivors of disasters to advertise their safety, while relief efforts can use it to coordinate their response. Yet the very features that make it so useful also make it a dangerous tool.
The Sri Lankan government has enforced a blackout on social media following the deadly Easter Sunday bomb attacks, highlighting how the role of Facebook and related platforms in spreading misinformation and incitement to violence has come to override their benefits, according to a Guardian opinion article. Facebook has been applauded in recent years for the part it plays in emergency response situations. With its global reach, it enables survivors of disasters to advertise their safety, while relief efforts can use it to coordinate their response. Yet the very features that make it so useful also make it a dangerous tool.