Sri Lanka Easter bombings: Was the social media ban necessary?

Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube were among the platforms blocked by the government after the killing of over 250 people.

After coordinated Easter Sunday bombings of churches and hotels in Sri Lanka killed more than 250 people, the Sri Lankan government quickly did what many governments now do in times of crisis: it cited the threat of misinformation and temporarily shut down social media.

But there's a complex debate to be had on the benefits of a social media shutdown versus the costs. Millions of people couldn't contact friends and family, because, in Sri Lanka, social media platforms are the internet itself. And such is the online reliance on Facebook or WhatsApp.

At first, there were "dozens of WhatsApp messages through various groups trying to figure out what had happened", says Dharsha Jegatheeswaran, research director, Adayaalam Centre.