How To Unblock Social Media in Sri Lanka — Easy Guide 2023

Sri Lanka is facing a number of security issues, as political and religious tensions grow within the country. Many religious communities country have been targeted by different terrorist groups and angry crowds, creating a fragile peace in a country still recovering from its civil war a decade ago.

As a result, the Sri Lankan government is taking sometimes extreme steps to stop online hate speech and reduce the risk of more violence. There are occasional social media blackouts across the country, temporarily blocking all major social networks, including Facebook, Instagram, Viber, and Whatsapp.

While the government has committed to maintaining media and press freedom in the country, overall, censorship of news websites and other online content has also increased in Sri Lanka.

For those who just want to keep in touch with friends and family on Facebook and Whatsapp, or read the news, this is a real problem.

Luckily, you can get around these blocks with a VPN. Keep reading to find out how.

Unblock Social Media with a VPN

Sri Lanka is not the first country to censor apps and websites to the public. China, Russia, and Qatar have all blocked social media in the past (and still do!).

The good news is that there's a way to get around the block, and it's actually legal.

With a virtual private network (VPN), you can hide your true location by connecting to a server in another country. Not only will this allow you to regain access to your social media, it will also encrypt all your internet activity so that it cannot be tracked by hackers, your ISP, or a government agency.

For a more extensive explanation of how VPNs work, see our beginners guide.

There are several quality VPNs with servers near Sri Lanka. Any of these should get your social media up and running.

1. ExpressVPN -A great budget-friendly VPN for beginners, that doesn't sacrifice security, speed, or experience.
2. Private Internet Access - As the name suggests, PIA will keep you completely anonymous and hide your activity while you're online.
3. CyberGhostVPN -Bypass censorship and enjoy super fast connections to 3,600+ servers around the world, all on a very user friendly interface.
4. VyprVPN - Constantly improving their service and committed to bypassing censorship, a great choice for accessing blocked content.

Here’s how you do it:

1. Go to the website of one of the VPN providers listed above. We recommend ExpressVPN for accessing bypassing censorship.
2. Follow the installation and download instructions.
3. Once installed, the VPN will ask you to select the server of your choice.
4. In order to maintain fast speeds, choose a server outside but near Sri Lanka.

Now your IP address will be changed to one in your chosen country, and you can access any of the websites or platforms that are available there.

Using a Free VPN

If you are concerned about budget, there are some free VPNs you can choose from. However, be aware that many free VPNs use annoying tricks to still make money from you, including pop up ads, selling your data, or installing malware. All of these can compromise your security and privacy online, so be careful that you only use one of the very best free VPNs. 

Ultimately, a premium VPN is always the best choice for staying safe and anonymous online, while also bypassing censorship.

Try ExpressVPN Risk-Free Now!