SM content creators make quick cash through fake news after Monday's violence

There is a l w ay s an opportunity in a crisis-- even for the warped minded and the crooked. As Sri Lanka’s economic situation deteriorated over recent weeks with violent incidents, there is one segment of social media content creators using the opportunity to make some quick bucks by spreading f ake news and t hrough misinformation campaigns.

The problematic content creators on YouTube and other platforms were not merely from this country, but across the shores they were spreading lies that went from people dying in the streets due to starvation to vivid descriptions of how military personnel evacuated former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa from Temple Trees-his official residence-- through a special operation as protesters clashed along Colombo's streets on Monday.

In Tamil, one such YouTuber described the details as he witnessed the whole saga by himself but what matters was the video went viral with nearly half a million views. Worst of all, mainstream news channels in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu too picked up similar lines without cross-checking with verifiable sources.

When a diaspora based Sri Lankan national shared the link with his family members back home to verify the details, he was shocked to hear that the whole content was filled with fake news and gossip that was presented in a convincing way. Apparently, he had stopped watching Sri Lankan related content on social media platforms because of his high pressure and mental health, he said.