A draconian cybersecurity law is blocking Myanmar citizens’ access to information. Passed on 1 January, the legislation bans Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, which allow users to circumvent website blocks. Although introduced as a crackdown on online crime, it also gives the ruling military junta more powers to search personal devices and jail dissidents.
Digital repression isn’t new to Myanmar – tactics to limit internet access have been well-documented since the 2021 coup when the junta seized power. This new law, however, has formalized what’s quickly come to be described as a ‘digital dictatorship’.
