A Sri Lankan social media entrepreneur has been linked to a network of anti-migrant Facebook pages targeting audiences in the United Kingdom, according to an investigation published by The Times and The Sunday Times.
The report alleges that the influencer, identified as Geeth Sooriyapura, operated or oversaw a cluster of more than 100 Facebook pages that circulated anti-migrant, anti-Muslim and politically misleading content aimed at British users. The pages, which collectively attracted over a million followers, reportedly shared false claims about migration, housing, and UK political parties.
According to the investigation, Sooriyapura also ran an online “academy” offering training on how to create and monetise such Facebook pages. He is reported to have claimed earnings of around US$300,000 from his digital operations. The Times’ partner organisation, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, said the network pushed high-engagement posts, many generated or assisted by AI tools.
The content included fabricated stories such as claims that council housing in London was reserved exclusively for Muslims, and that political parties were controlled by religious groups. Many posts were promoted through groups designed to appear as UK community pages.
The report states that the network’s activities are now under scrutiny, with experts warning that such operations can influence public sentiment and distort online political debate ahead of elections.
The influencer has denied wrongdoing, insisting the allegations stem from misunderstandings and that he does not run disinformation campaigns. Facebook’s parent company Meta has not publicly commented on the specific network cited in the report, though the platform has previously pledged to clamp down on coordinated inauthentic behaviour.
The Times investigation comes amid growing concerns about foreign-run digital operations targeting Western countries, particularly through low-cost content farms and AI-driven engagement strategies. (Newswire)