Myanmar’s military junta has intensified its crackdown on dissent, imposing severe restrictions on online access and speech. The junta has built a mass censorship and surveillance regime to suppress the activities of pro-democracy activists and armed resistance groups. In May, the military introduced new censorship technology that blocked most virtual private networks (VPNs).
Residents had relied on VPNs to bypass internet controls safely and securely. Access to information online is a matter of life and death for many people in Myanmar. This is especially true for those seeking safety from indiscriminate attacks by the military and millions trying to navigate a devastating economic and humanitarian crisis.
China has also continued efforts to isolate its domestic internet from the rest of the world. The government has blocked international traffic to some government websites and imposed huge fines on people using VPNs. China’s internet watchdog has intensified regulation of cyberspace, clamping down on blogs, US search giants, and social media.
Myanmar’s strict online censorship measures
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the report as “completely false” with “ulterior motives.”
The report offers a grim view of global internet freedom, with conditions for human rights online deteriorating in 27 out of 72 countries surveyed. Nearly 80% of people live in countries where individuals were arrested for posting their political, social, or religious views online.
In a record 43 countries, people were physically attacked or killed in retaliation for their online activities. Thailand’s strict royal insult laws have ensnared hundreds of people in recent years, including one man sentenced to prison in January for social media posts deemed damaging to the king. Kyrgyzstan showed the biggest drop in internet freedoms, with President Sadyr Japarov intensifying efforts to silence digital media and suppress online organizing.
Authorities there blocked and later shut down the investigative media website Kloop after it reported on an imprisoned opposition figure’s allegations of torture. Iceland retained its status as having the “most free” online environment, scoring 94 out of 100. The report also addresses online disinformation campaigns and political interference in the run-up to elections, including the harassment of independent researchers and fact-checkers.
In the United States, pressure on independent experts has left people less informed about influence operations ahead of the November elections. False allegations prompted litigation, subpoenas, and online harassment, which the report says had a chilling effect.
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