Concerns over fake news, disinformation ahead of Sri Lanka polls | The Hindu

The campaign for Sri Lanka’s November 16 presidential election ended on Wednesday, but voters are concerned about an apparent spike in fake news on social media, and its possible impact over the next two days.

As candidates made their final pitch, some of their supporters unleashed unambiguously racist posts and fake news-based attacks online — mostly on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter. Users and media watchers are intervening in different ways — from asking Facebook how it allowed politicians to promote content found to be false, to instantly calling out racist slurs and hate-mongering by users who are openly backing prominent contestants.

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