The government says its acting against social media groups trading private and sexual content involving women and children

The government is acting to prevent women and children from being exploited by a network trading private photographs and sexual content on social media.

The network, operating on Facebook, WhatsApp and Telegram, was exposed by journalists and content creators this week.

The Ministry of Women and Child Affairs said preliminary findings were referred to the Sri Lanka Police Bureau for the Prevention of Abuse of Children and Women and the Computer Crime Investigation Division for investigation.

Background

Investigations revealed groups actively requesting and trading non-consensual explicit content of female relatives, girlfriends, and colleagues.

Fake accounts were created to monetize private photos, with several groups traced back to overseas administrators.

Activists and SLCERT flagged these operations, sending collected group links directly to Meta for urgent removal and investigation, while urging victims to seek help.

Advisory

Victims and affected families can access free legal aid and psychosocial support via the 1938 (Women) and 1929 (Childline) toll-free helplines, the Ministry also said in its statement.

It also urged parents to closely monitor children's online interactions, stating that digital exploitation risks often originate from acquaintances and within the home.

Guardians are also advised to implement proactive measures to protect minors from harmful network activities and online trade of private material.