LIRNEasia developed Play Learn Vote, an interactive educational game designed to strengthen democratic participation while building resilience against election-related misinformation. The game introduces players to Sri Lanka’s electoral process through realistic scenarios that promote critical thinking, informed decision-making, and responsible civic participation. 
LIRNEasia developed Play Learn Vote, an interactive educational game designed to strengthen democratic participation while building resilience against election-related misinformation. The game introduces players to Sri Lanka’s electoral process through realistic scenarios that promote critical thinking, informed decision-making, and responsible civic participation. 
After three years of collaborative research and engagement, the ‘Resisting Information Disorders in the Global South’ project has culminated in the publication of the report ‘Information Disorder and Resilience in the Global South: Structural Drivers, Governance, Media Literacy, and Fact-Checking.’ The report draws on evidence from across the Global South to examine the structural drivers of information disorder and assess regulatory and societal responses in Africa, the MENA region, South-East Asia, and Latin America. LIRNEasia contributed Chapter 4, ‘Empowering Children Against Misinformation: A Review of Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Interventions in Sri Lanka’, authored by Isuru Samaratunga, Research Manager at LIRNEasia, and Helani Galpaya, CEO of LIRNEasia. 
In October 2025, researchers from across the Global South gathered in São Paulo, Brazil, for the closing workshop of the three-year project, Resisting Information Disorder in the Global South, funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC). The workshop, hosted by InternetLab (Latin America), brought together partners from the ARIJ Network, LIRNEasia, Research ICT Africa, and Stellenbosch University, who have spent the last three years studying how misinformation moves through their regions, and what practical solutions might actually work. 
As part of a project supported by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, LIRNEasia conducted two major studies on information disorder among Sinhala and Tamil news consumers in Sri Lanka: a nationally representative survey examining the human factors shaping information disorder and an experimental study assessing the effectiveness of misinformation-countering measures. Drawing on these findings, LIRNEasia convened a Solution Development Workshop on 11 November 2025 in Colombo to translate evidence into practical interventions. 
In today’s digital landscape, misinformation spreads rapidly across social media and messaging platforms, influencing public opinion and shaping conversations. Understanding how and why people encounter, verify, and share false information is critical to addressing these challenges. To explore these human factors in information disorder, LIRNEasia conducted a nationally representative survey in Sri Lanka. The study spanned 150 Grama Niladhari divisions, the country’s smallest administrative units. A total of 2,610 respondents were surveyed, including 1,797 Sinhala news consumers and 813 Tamil news consumers, all aged over 18 and able to consume and comprehend news in their respective languages. 
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.