At least 90% of social media complaints in Sri Lanka involve Facebook, AI issues

By Poojathmi Rivithma

Colombo, July 1 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lankan authorities are raising concerns as most complaints are related to Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, Instagram and TikTok with 90% of them involving Facebook and issues connected to AI.

SLCERT engineer Charuka Damunupola, speaking to a popular TV channel, said there has been an increasing number of incidents linked to social media misuse, with 7 million people using the internet in Sri Lanka and 90% of them active on social media.

He said complaints such as fake accounts, hacked accounts, and WhatsApp hacking have increased over the past three months.

Damunupola also noted that 21% of users reported feeling stressed due to social media, including 10% of males though many are unable to stop using these platforms.

In response, he revealed that generative AI, such as ChatGPT, has become widely popular while offering many benefits.

However, he warned that AI is also being misused for example, to create fake nude images by manipulating normal photos.