In an effort to reduce demonstrations against their coup, Myanmar’s military authorities are tightening its internet restrictions. Protests Myanmar netblocksfingasengadget, Myanmar enforced a “near-total internet shutdown,” according to BBC News, as of the morning of February 6. This information was found by NetBlocks. According to NetBlocks, connectivity was only 16 percent of usual levels. Residents had been using VPNs to bypass earlier material restrictions, but the blackout prevents most individuals from utilizing them.
Protests Myanmar netblocksfingasengadget The ban, which had previously targeted Facebook, was expanded to include Instagram and Twitter by Myanmar just hours prior to the closure. On February 2, the Ministry of Information alleged that users had been using social media to “incite rowdiness.”
If and when the military dictatorship will relax its limitations is uncertain. However, given that widespread protests are still occurring in spite of the new regulations, that is unlikely to happen very soon.
Unfortunately, Myanmar is employing a tried-and-true tactic. The military is obviously banking that internet outages will stop demonstrators from organizing or documenting events, just like Iran, Egypt, and a few other nations have attempted in the past. However, as we’ve seen in the past, tenacious pro-democracy activists frequently find technological workarounds or protest anyway – if anything, shutdowns might energise opposition.
