Since the 2021 coup, the people of Myanmar feared the return of a dark monopoly in the telecommunications sector. In recent years, telco operators have been under controversy over ties with the junta, privacy concerns, and rising internet costs.
Technology helped the people of Myanmar cope with COVID-19. But the military junta has also taken advantage of the health crisis to strengthen its digital dictatorship through various surveillance practices deployed concurrently with the pandemic.
While Telegram is popular in Myanmar, its weak content moderation policies are posing serious risks to human and digital rights: it has allowed propagandists to dox people, incite violence, and perpetuate online gender-based violence against women.
