But the government’s broad shutdown of social media immediately after the Easter attacks, which were tied to eight attackers linked to a local affiliate of the Islamic State, was unusual. It is unclear how effective the ban has been at curbing unrest, or whether information spread on social media has contributed to recent reports of some attacks on Sri Lanka’s Muslims and refugees from Pakistan and Afghanistan. After the bombings, Muslims, who comprise about 10 percent of the country’s population, have reported mobs attacking their homes and storefronts and threatening violence. And many Sri Lankans have simply used V.P.N.s, or virtual private networks, to circumvent the restrictions. For days, Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, had been on lockdown, with nightly curfews and army personnel deployed along largely empty roads.

Source: New York Times April 30, 2019 08:00 UTC