Sri Lanka – Analysts: Diplomats involved in coordinated amplification networks and false accounts to promote public opinion of their favor

Cybersecurity analysts and specialists highlighted the use of BOTS/ sock-puppet by diplomats in Colombo, Sri Lanka to interact on their Social Media posts. Oxford Internet Institute has recently divulged that coordinated amplification networks and false accounts, promoting messages by diplomats, especially in Sri Lanka. A tweet by Sri Lankan social media analyst Sanjana Hattotuwa – Ph.D. candidate in the University of Otago, New Zeeland and former Senior Researcher at The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), started to gain traction on Twitter after he highlighted the emergence of “sock-puppet” accounts connected to Sri Lanka’s Chinese Embassy’s Twitter account. It is a widespread strategy all around the world by Global Super-Powers to enable to boost their image. These allegations have been hurled at China since they have stretched their muscle power towards Sri Lanka to have a Socio-Economic stronghold in the island nation using such devious strategical moves; mainly to subdue the growing upheaval of “Anti-China” sentiments in the wake of the emergence of the CHEC Port City Colombo (Pvt.) Ltd, which will be mainly controlled by China. Analysts who have closely monitored such strategies by Super-Power nations have stressed their utmost efforts to shed light on the above strategies by the so-called emerging hegemonies to fulfill their clandestine operations to achieve their goals in the host states.