President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered the ban on Facebook, WhatsApp and other social media apps lifted with immediate effect.

In a statement, the Government Information Department said the President has ordered the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) to lift the ban from today onwards.

Facebook and several other social media apps were banned in Sri Lanka in the wake of Easter Sunday explosions which claimed the lives of over 250.

The government said the ban was aimed at curbing misinformation and rumors inciting racially-orchestrated violence.

The government has now taken measures to lift the ban on social media as the situation in the country has returned to normalcy over a week after the Easter Sunday explosions.