Junta rolls out new cybersecurity law, clamping down on digital rights

The military regime enacted a new cybersecurity law on January 1, imposing prison sentences and fines for cyber misuse and online gambling ina move critics argue aims to further suppress dissent. According to an official from the Myanmar Internet Project (MIP), which has conducted an initial study of the law, the new legislation retains provisions that would deliberately oppress internet users, rather than safeguard the public. The MIP official said that the law will not be used with digital rights in mind. Instead, it will likely be utilised “as another weapon to further oppression.”Critics say the law will further criminalise VPN use, intensify surveillance, and silence dissent, isolating Myanmar and enabling unchecked military violence. Based on the new provisions, the storing or sharing of information about “terrorist groups” via electronic technology and social networks will be monitored, and information shared on devices like phones, computers, or on the internet could be criminalised. It could also have even farther-reaching implications. According to MIP's findings, in addition to severely restricting digital freedom, the new law includes provisions in Section 3(b) to take action against citizens abroad. For years, Myanmar's digital space has been severely undermined by social media bans, internet shutdowns, VPN restrictions, and crackdowns on online expression, including surveillance and arrests. Cyber misuse under the law carries penalties of one to three years in prison, fines of 5-20 million kyat (US $2,400 to $9,500), or both. The junta is notorious for cutting off phone and internet lines in conflict areas, while also arresting and imprisoning regime critics. Section 33 of the junta's cybersecurity law requires digital platforms with over 100,000 users to store personal data and usage records for up to three years. Further, the law includes provisions that allow junta affiliated organisations to easily request user data without requiring court permission. Nai Aue Mon, Program Director of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland, a human rights group working in Mon and Karen states, is concerned civil society groups and media will likely face a spike in hostile scrutiny. “In free countries, cybersecurity regulations ensure the right to information, freedom of expression, and digital safety. These laws protect the public, not oppress them,” Nai Aue Mon said in a statement. “The junta's cybersecurity law, however, is a deliberate attempt to sever the people's connection to the world and hide their atrocities—such as indiscriminate airstrikes and the use of advanced weapons against civilians from global scrutiny.”

Junta rolls out new cybersecurity law, clamping down on digital rights

The military, infamous for silencing dissent by cutting communications and jailing critics, will now mandate that digital platforms store user data for up to three years

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