London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 23, 2026

Sri Lankan Influencer Builds Vast UK-targeted Network of Anti-Migrant Facebook Pages

Sri Lankan Influencer Builds Vast UK-targeted Network of Anti-Migrant Facebook Pages

Investigation finds over 100 pages spreading disinformation for profit, fuelling UK online hate and far-right themes
A network of more than one hundred Facebook pages targeting the United Kingdom with anti-migrant and Islamist-connected disinformation has been linked to Sri Lankan influencer Geeth Sooriyapura.

The pages, which collectively had over 1.6 million followers, featured AI-generated imagery, false claims about migrants and Muslims, and adverts disguised as grassroots content.

According to an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, Sooriyapura operated an “academy” model teaching students to create pages and monetise them via Facebook’s advertising network.

He claimed earnings of around three hundred thousand dollars and encouraged targeting older British audiences using “immigration” and “white identity” themes.

Examples of posts included fabricated imagery of UK political figures and provocative messages such as “welfare for British citizens only”.

The content frequently portrayed migrants as invaders and leveraged AI-generated visuals and false headlines.

Some pages shared images of the UK Prime Minister in Muslim dress despite no photographic evidence of such a scenario.

While some pages have since been removed by Meta for “inauthentic behaviour”, many remain live and continue to attract engagement.

UK-based far-right figures and official pages from the Reform UK party appeared to interact with content from the network, including resharing posts, suggesting the disinformation ecosystem had penetrated mainstream political channels.

One Reform UK councillor commented approvingly on an AI-generated image created by the network.

MPs have called for urgent regulation to tackle the monetisation of hate online, pointing to this case as a clear demonstration of how foreign or non-state actors can profit from spreading divisive content.

The network’s growth underscores how AI tools, social media monetisation and partisan messaging can combine to undermine digital-and electoral integrity.

Meta said it had removed pages linked to the actor’s network that violated platform policies.

However, analysts warn that removal of some pages does not erase the broader infrastructure—including training modules, copycat pages and business models built on hate and engagement.

As lawmakers in London prepare to legislate tighter rules for online platforms and foreign-actor interference, this case adds urgency and real-world evidence of disinformation operations entering UK-dominated social ecosystems.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
'They're people from all walks of life across the UK'
EU Digital ID Claims Misstate What Brussels Can Legally Force on Member States
The Great Western Exit: Why Best Citizens Are Fleeing the Rich World [PODCAST]
The New Robber Barons of Intelligence: Are AI Bosses More Powerful Than Rockefeller?
The End of the Old Order [Podcast]
Britain’s Democracy Is Now a Costume
The AI Gold Rush Is Coming for America’s Last Open Spaces [Podcast]
The Pentagon’s AI Squeeze: Eight Tech Giants Get In, Anthropic Gets Shut Out [Podcast]
The War Map: Professor Jiang’s Dark Theory of Iran, Trump, China, Russia, Israel, and the Coming Global Shock [Podcast]
Labour Is No Longer a National Party [Podcast]
AI Isn’t Stealing Your Job. It’s Dismantling It Piece by Piece.
Lawyers vs Engineers: Why China Builds While America Litigates [Podcast]
Churchill’s Glass: The Drunk, the Doctor, and the Myth Britain Refuses to Sober Up From
Apple issues an unusual warning: this is how your iPhone can be hacked without you doing anything
Kennedy’s Quiet War on Antidepressants Sparks Alarm Across America’s Medical Establishment
The Met Gala Meets the Age of Billionaire Backlash
Russian Oligarch’s Superyacht Crosses Hormuz via Iran-Controlled Route
Gunfire Disrupts White House Correspondents’ Dinner as Trump Is Evacuated
A Leak, a King, and a Fracturing Alliance
Inside the Gates Foundation Turmoil: Layoffs, Scrutiny, and the Cost of Reputational Risk
UK Biobank Breach Exposes Health Data of 500,000, Listed for Sale on Chinese Platform
KPMG Cuts Around 10% of US Audit Partners After Failed Exit Push
French Police Probe Suspected Weather-Data Tampering After Unusual Polymarket Bets on Paris Temperatures
CATL Unveils Revolutionary EV Battery Tech: 1000 km Range and 7-Minute Charging Ahead of Beijing Auto Show
Crypto Scammers Capitalize on Maritime Chaos Near the Strait of Hormuz: A Rising Threat to Shipping Companies
Changi Airport: How Singapore Engineered the World’s Most Efficient Travel Experience
Power Dynamics: Apple’s Leadership Shakeup, Geopolitical Risks in the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe's Energy Strategy Amidst Global Challenges
Apple's Leadership Transition: Can New CEO John Ternus Navigate AI Challenges and Geopolitical Pressures?
Italy’s €100K Tax Gambit: Europe’s Soft Power Tax Haven
News Roundup
Microsoft lost 2.5 millions users (French government) to Linux
Privacy Problems in Microsoft Windows OS
News roundup
Péter András Magyar and the Strategic Reset of Hungary
Hungary After the Landslide — A Strategic Reset in Europe
Meghan Markle Plans Exclusive Women-Focused Retreat During Australia Visit
Starmer and Trump Hold Strategic Talks on Securing Strait of Hormuz Amid Rising Tensions
Unofficial Australia Visit by Prince Harry and Meghan Expected to Stir Tensions with Royal Circles
Pipeline Attack Cuts Significant Share of Saudi Arabia’s Oil Export Capacity
UK Stocks Rise on Ceasefire Momentum and Renewed Focus on Diplomacy
UK to Hold Further Strategic Talks on Strait of Hormuz Security
Starmer Voices Frustration as Global Tensions Drive Up UK Energy Costs
UK Students Voice Concern Over Proposal for Automatic Military Draft Registration
Rising Volatility Drives Uncertainty in UK Fuel and Petrol Prices
UK Moves to Deploy ‘Skyhammer’ Anti-Drone System to Strengthen Airspace Defense
New Analysis Explores UK Budget Mechanics in ‘Behind the Blue’ Feature
Man Arrested After Four Die in Channel Crossing Tragedy
UK Tightens Immigration Framework with New Sponsor Rules and Fee Increases
UK Foreign Secretary Highlights Impact of Intensified Strikes in Lebanon
UK Urges Inclusion of Lebanon in US-Iran Ceasefire Framework
×