Digital Predators Exposed: SLCERT Cracks Down on Exploitative Social Media Groups

COLOMBO (News 1st): A deeply troubling trend spreading across social media platforms has sparked widespread public outrage in Sri Lanka, raising fresh questions about online safety, digital ethics and the protection of women and girls in an increasingly connected world.

Over the past several weeks, social media users have been sounding the alarm over the emergence of numerous Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp groups dedicated to sharing, requesting and trading intimate photographs of women without their consent.

What has particularly shocked many users is the nature of some of the posts being shared.

Screenshots circulating online appear to show accounts openly requesting explicit photographs and content of family members, girlfriends and female colleagues, while some users allegedly offer money in exchange for intimate images. Others reportedly encourage the sharing of private photographs belonging to family members, prompting concerns about how normalized such behaviour has become within certain online circles.

The issue has generated intense discussion across social media, with many Sri Lankans questioning how platforms used daily by millions can become breeding grounds for such exploitative behaviour.

For many women, the controversy has reignited longstanding concerns about privacy, consent and the risks associated with sharing personal information in the digital age.

Cybersecurity experts warn that these activities are not simply offensive or immoral. In many instances, the unauthorised sharing, solicitation or distribution of intimate images can amount to image-based abuse, online harassment, blackmail, extortion and serious violations of privacy.

The rise of such groups has also highlighted a broader global problem.

Technology companies and online safety organisations have increasingly identified Non-Consensual Intimate Image Abuse (NCII), sometimes referred to as image-based sexual abuse, as one of the fastest-growing forms of online exploitation. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, explicitly prohibits the sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent and maintains dedicated reporting mechanisms for such content.

Responding to the growing concern in Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) Chief Information Officer Nirosh Ananda confirmed that authorities have received a significant number of complaints related to leaked personal photographs, including explicit and semi-explicit images.

According to Ananda, many of the complaints involve content targeting family members and women, with links to offending groups being widely circulated across multiple social media platforms.

"We have received a large number of complaints regarding the leaking of personal photographs, and information. These groups have been shared extensively across Facebook and a number of other social media platforms, and the issue is being heavily discussed," he said.

Ananda revealed that SLCERT has already collected numerous group links and reports from members of the public and has escalated them directly to Meta for urgent action.

"We have already escalated these matters to Meta for the immediate removal of the content and to assist in identifying the people behind these activities," he said.

The intervention comes as online safety experts increasingly warn that social media abuse often evolves rapidly, with content spreading across multiple platforms before it can be removed.

In recent years, global technology companies have invested heavily in systems designed to detect and remove non-consensual intimate images, while also introducing stronger measures against sextortion and revenge pornography. Meta says sharing or threatening to share intimate images without consent violates its policies and can result in content removal, account suspension and further enforcement action.

The concern is particularly acute for women and young girls, who remain disproportionately targeted by image-based abuse worldwide. International online safety organisations have repeatedly warned that victims often experience severe emotional distress, reputational damage and, in some cases, intimidation and extortion. Initiatives such as StopNCII.org have been established specifically to help victims prevent intimate images from being distributed online and remove harmful content from participating platforms.

Authorities in Sri Lanka are now urging the public to play an active role in helping combat the problem.

Anyone who encounters such groups, links or content is being asked to report them immediately to SLCERT through [email protected] or by submitting a complaint via www.cert.gov.lk. Reports can also be made through SLCERT's cyber incident reporting channels.

Importantly, Ananda assured the public that individuals who come forward with information or file complaints will have their privacy protected.

"We will ensure the privacy of every individual who makes a complaint. We guarantee that their confidentiality will be safeguarded. We urge people to report any links or groups that are being shared so that we can prevent the further spread of this unwanted content," he said.

Experts warn that every share, forward, download or repost contributes to the continued victimisation of those targeted.

As Sri Lankan authorities work with global technology platforms to identify and remove offending groups, the controversy has become a sobering reminder of the darker side of social media, where privacy can be violated in seconds and harmful content can spread at extraordinary speed.

For many Sri Lankans, particularly women and parents, the question now extends beyond the removal of individual groups.

It is whether social media platforms, authorities and users themselves can work together quickly enough to ensure that the digital spaces used every day for communication, education and connection do not become places where exploitation, humiliation and abuse are allowed to flourish unchecked.

For Support:

Women and Children Bureau: Call 109 or 0112 444 444, or email [email protected].

National Child Protection Authority (NCPA): If the harassment involves online child sexual abuse imagery, report it anonymously via the NCPA Website Reporting Portal or call the child helpline at 1929.