The government of Sri Lanka briefly blocked social media as protests erupted across the nation due to shortages of fuel and food. All major social media websites were blocked by the government early on April 3 following a nationwide curfew announced on April 2 and a state of emergency declared on April 1. Affected websites included Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and messaging apps such as WhatsApp. Jayantha de Silva, chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission, told Reuters that the temporary block was implemented due to “special instructions” given by the defense ministry. It was imposed “in the interests” of the country for people to “maintain calm,” he added. The government lifted the blockade after approximately 16 hours, allowing citizens to resume connecting through social media. The move came under heavy criticism. “I will never condone the blocking of social media,” Namal Rajapaksa, the minister for youth and sports and the nephew …