LIRNEasia conducted a nationally representative survey in Sri Lanka to explore human factors in information disorder. The study spanned 150 Grama Niladhari divisions, the country’s smallest administrative units. We surveyed 2,610 people – 1,797 Sinhala news consumers and 813 Tamil news consumers – all over 18 and able to read news in their respective languages. Why do some people fall for false news while others see right through it? We set out to find the answer by asking people about their news habits and the sources they trust. 
LIRNEasia conducted a nationally representative survey in Sri Lanka to explore human factors in information disorder. The study spanned 150 Grama Niladhari divisions, the country’s smallest administrative units. We surveyed 2,610 people – 1,797 Sinhala news consumers and 813 Tamil news consumers – all over 18 and able to read news in their respective languages. Why do some people fall for false news while others see right through it? We set out to find the answer by asking people about their news habits and the sources they trust. 
On July 3, 2025, in Colombo, LIRNEasia organized the “Day of Information Disorder” to disseminate research findings from two major studies: a nationally representative survey and an experimental study measuring the effectiveness of misinformation countering measures. The event brought together researchers, journalists, media professionals, tech innovators, and policy experts to address one of today’s most urgent challenges: information disorder. The day began with an introduction by Helani Galpaya, CEO of LIRNEasia, who set the tone by unpacking what information disorder is and why it matters. LIRNEasia researcher Shenali Bamaramannage followed with a thought-provoking presentation titled “Are we idiots?”, sharing key findings from LIRNEasia’s national research on the human factors influencing susceptibility to misinformation in Sri Lanka. 
Each year, UNESCO celebrates World Press Freedom Day globally. The main/signature event is held in a different region or country each year. This year’s signature event was held in Brussels, Belgium, on the 7th of May. LIRNEasia CEO Helani Galpaya was one of the speakers on the panel titled Freedom of Expression and AI: Press Freedom, Information Integrity, and the Rule of Law. The other panellists were Michael O’Flaherty (Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe), Pedro Conceição (Director of the Human Development Report Office, UNDP), and Irene Jay Liu (Regional Director, Asia & the Pacific, International Fund for Public Interest Media). 
In an interview with Mawbima newspaper, LIRNEasia CEO Helani Galpaya highlighted the importance of accurate data in holding governments accountable between elections, emphasising its critical role in ensuring a functioning democracy. She also discussed the impact of misinformation and disinformation on public opinion, the role of fact-checking, and the importance of media independence. Below is the full Sinhala interview which was originally published in Mawbima newspaper on August 26, 2024. ඔබගේ කෑම බීමවල සිට රුචි අරුචිකම් සියල්ල නොදැනුවත්වම ජංගම දුරකථනය විසින් ඩැහැගනු ලබමින් සිටී. මෙකී සයිබර් දේශපාලනය අද වන විට ලෝක ප්රජාතන්ත්රවාදයටද අභියෝග කරමින් සිටී. 
The implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) extend beyond mere technological advancement. There is no doubt that while the Global North is gaining most of the benefits of AI, the Global South faces significant problems, such as biased language models. AI has the potential to transform our media systems. It can also disrupt business models, spread disinformation, and erode trust in society. However, AI also offers a transformative potential to democratise information access and increase digital participation. 
In response to the alarming surge of information disorder affecting online platforms, LIRNEasia is exploring to provide evidence-based recommendations to policymakers on how best to equip Sri Lankan early adolescence with skills to navigate the digital world safely and responsibly. This is through a two-year research project on digital literacy among Sri Lankan adolescents aged 11 to 18. In partnership with Sarvodaya Fusion, LIRNEasia is taking an experimental approach, using qualitative methods. This initiative involves the comparison of two cohorts of early adolescents with varied demographics, including language and sectors like urban, rural, and estate. While one group undergoes intensive digital literacy training, the other serves as a control group without such training. 
LIRNEasia recently unveiled “Dissect” – a cutting-edge web tool employing advanced artificial intelligence (AI) tailored for effective fact-checking. What sets this tool apart is its compatibility with Sinhala websites, and its accessibility to anyone from anywhere in the world, making fact-checking accessible to a wider audience. Developed by Appendix Pvt. Ltd. under Watchdog Sri Lanka, the web tool is currently being tested for effectiveness by LIRNEasia. 
An Expert Round Table discussion on "Tackling online misinformation while protecting freedom of expression" held on the 11th of October 2021, as the second of a series of discussions under the theme of “Frontiers of Digital Economy”
LIRNEasia conducted research and authored the chapter on the Asian region as part of the study "Meeting the Challenges of Information Disorder in the Global South."
A white paper exploring the use of AI in classifying misinformation.
LIRNEasia conducted a forum in mid-December 2021 focusing on tackling disinformation.
Science writer Nalaka Gunawardene shares his insights following a forum held in mid-December 2021.
Over the past decade, both internet penetration and digital media user base have increased substantially.
We present a dataset consisting of 3576 documents in Sinhala, drawn from Sri Lankan news websites and factchecking operations, annotated as CREDIBLE, FALSE, PARTIAL or UN- CERTAIN. The dataset has markers for the content of the document, the classification, the web domain from which each document was retrieved, and the date on which the document was published. We also present the results of misinformation classification models built for the Sinhala language, as well as comparisons to English benchmarks, and suggest that for smaller media ecosystems it may make more practical sense to model uncertainty instead of truth vs falsehood binaries.
The problem with regulating information is its inherent slipperyness. In 2018, when invited to speak on the subject I quoted a Deputy Minister of the Malaysian Government, speaking in Parliament: Datuk Jailani Johari, the Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister, explained that fake news is information that is confirmed to be untrue, especially by the authorities or parties related to the news. He said that 1MDB has been investigated by the police and Attorney-General and the reports have been presented to Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), which is made up of lawmakers from both sides of the divide. Jailani added that recommendations from the PAC report have been accepted and been implemented by the Government. .