Myanmar enforces new cybersecurity law  and VPN usage is the main target

Date:
Fri, 03 Jan 2025 17:36:22 +0000

Description:
The new law clamps down on digital rights and VPNs, warn experts. Here's what
we know so far.

FULL STORY
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Up to six months in prison and fines of up to 2 million kyats (almost 
$1,000). This is what people in Myanmar now risk for using a VPN service
without approval after a new controversial cybersecurity law was enacted on
Wednesday, January 1, 2025. 

According to the military junta, the new law aims to "prevent cyberattacks
through electronic technology that threatens national sovereignty, peace, and
stability, as well as to effectively investigate and bring charges against
cybercrimes," as reported by Radio Free Asia . 

Yet, experts are worried about the implications on citizens' digital rights,
such as online privacy, free speech, and access to information. 

Myanmar's internet has been under strict control following the 2021 coup.
Social media platforms, along with independent and international media, are
all blocked, making the use of the best VPN apps a necessity for staying
connected and accessing free information.

Digital rights under siege 

As mentioned, legal experts and digital rights groups have warned against the
risk the new law poses to people's digital freedoms. 

Talking to Radio Free Asia, for example, a legal expert suggests that there
should be a limit to authorities' reach in controlling citizens' online
activities. 

"The VPN law is being misused to control public narratives. The Junta is more
interested in restricting independent information flow rather than focusing
solely on legitimate cybersecurity concerns," another legal expert from the
city of Mawlamyine told a local human rights group . 

Beyond VPNs, the 16 chapters and 88 articles-long cybersecurity law also
criminalizes other online activities such as online fraud, illegal gambling,
and unauthorized financial transactions. Here, prison sentences can range
between two to seven years. The military regime activated the Cybersecurity
Law on Wednesday, imposing up to six months in jail or 1-10 million kyats
(US$475-4,750) in fines for establishing virtual private network (VPN)
connections or providing VPN services without permission.

Myanmar's new law appears to be the final act of the Junta's work to prevent
citizens from using virtual private network (VPN) apps to bypass
government-imposed online restrictions. 

We reported back in June last year how an enforced Myanmar VPN ban plunged
citizens into online darkness in May. Most VPN services stopped working, with
soldiers reportedly inspecting the phones of random pedestrians on the 
lookout for illegal VPN apps, too. 

At the same time, Myanmar was among the nations most affected by internet
shutdowns and social media blocks in 2024. As per the latest data , Myanmar
suffered the longest with a total of 20,376 hours of online blockage over the
12 months, affecting 23.7 million people. 

What's certain now is that the new law makes it even more difficult for
everyday citizens to combat daily online restrictions without legal
repercussions.

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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/vpn/vpn-privacy-security/myanmar-enforces-new-cybers
ecurity-law-and-vpn-usage-is-the-main-target

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