Sri Lankan influencer Geeth Sooriyapura has amassed a lavish lifestyle – showcased through luxury hotels, high-end watches and sleek apartments on his Instagram feed – by running Facebook pages that push racist, Islamophobic and anti-migrant content aimed at British audiences, according to a joint investigation.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ), the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and the Sunday Times found that Sooriyapura claims to have earned about US$300,000 through Facebook monetisation. He also markets himself as a “Facebook ads king,” charging students to learn the methods behind his success.
Investigators linked 128 Facebook pages and groups targeting UK audiences – with a combined following of 1.6 million users – to Sooriyapura and his students. Many of these pages share inflammatory political posts, often generated using AI tools, to maximise engagement. Meta said it removed the pages identified by TBIJ that violated its policies on inauthentic behaviour.
Targeting outrage for profit
In an interview with TBIJ, Sooriyapura said he targets older UK audiences “because they are the ones who don’t like immigrants”. Despite the nature of the content, he insisted he does not encourage students to “spread violence,” claiming his training only covers monetisation and audience targeting.
One of his pages falsely claimed that London mayor Sadiq Khan planned to build 40,000 council homes only for Muslims, sparking comments calling for Khan to be deported or even hanged. The page was originally set up as a Sri Lankan food blog but now profits from politically charged misinformation.
A spokesperson for Khan condemned the spread of racist disinformation, warning that AI-driven content is accelerating its reach and impact.
AI tools supercharging disinformation
Pages linked to Sooriyapura frequently post AI-generated images and videos on UK politics, with a particular focus on immigration. In an instructional video obtained by TBIJ, Sooriyapura tells students that AI political content can go viral “up to 10 times faster”.
One widely viewed post turned a photograph of mostly Black migrants at sea into a 15-second video urging viewers to “put Britain’s own people first”. Another AI-created clip depicted a naval ship colliding with migrant boats in the English Channel.
His students also use generative AI tools, including chatbots, to identify political “trigger points” that are likely to attract strong engagement.
Turning hate into income
Sooriyapura teaches students to create niche pages – from lifestyle and wildlife to religion and politics – and to monetise them through Meta’s in-stream ads, subscriptions and performance bonuses. In one video, he shows earnings of US$1,400 from a single page in a month, a substantial income in Sri Lanka.
Investigators say his network blends generic patriotic posts with misinformation and hate speech, creating content designed to provoke emotional reactions, drive engagement and increase revenue.
Meta disputes the scale of the earnings but has acknowledged broader concerns. In 2024, the platform estimated it would earn US$16 billion from ads linked to scams and banned goods.
Political manipulation and UK impact
The pages targeting the UK display a strong anti-Labour and Islamophobic bias, with AI-generated images portraying Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer in jail or in Islamic dress. Some falsely claim Starmer intends to introduce sharia law.
By contrast, the pages amplify far-right figures, including Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. AI-generated images supporting Reform policies were shared across the network, and in some cases reshared by Reform UK politicians who appeared unaware of the pages’ financial motives.
Emily Darlington, a Labour MP and member of the Commons science, innovation and technology committee, said she plans to propose amendments to strengthen regulations aimed at curbing online misinformation and preventing the “monetisation of hate”. (The Bureau of Investigative Journalism)
