The Monthly Roundup: Afeeya Akhand on Myanmar's new cybersecurity law
ASPI Cyber, Technology & Security Researcher Afeeya Akhand writes on the state of digital freedom around the world + her top picks from the Digest this month.
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Welcome to another edition of The Daily Cyber & Tech Digest Monthly Update! Each month, an ASPI expert will share their top news picks and provide their own take on one key story. This month, Afeeya Akhand, researcher at ASPI CTS, shares her take.
Setbacks in digital freedom around the world
While many of our top stories this month focused on the TikTok saga, in Myanmar, the military junta enacted a new cybersecurity law nominally aimed at preventing cyberattacks that threaten sovereignty, peace and stability. Although the implementation of safeguards to protect citizens from cyberattacks is becoming increasingly common around the world, human rights experts have argued that Myanmar’s new law will harm cyber freedom and the right to use the internet. The regulation against VPN use is particularly controversial, as many citizens use VPNs to access social media and media sites blocked by the government and even for educational purposes.
The expansive law allows authorities to investigate and prosecute for ‘cybercrimes’, but it also includes a ban on the use of VPNs, requiring digital platform service providers to collate details about users for disclosure to authorities and effectively giving authorities the power to shut online services to secure the ‘public good’. The suppression of digital freedom has long been an issue for Myanmar, with this law just the latest in a military crackdown on the internet and media since the civilian elected government was ousted in early 2021. In 2024, Freedom House ranked Myanmar as the world’s worst environment for internet freedom along with China in its Freedom on the Net (FOTN) 2024 report.
While five billion people have access to the internet, according to the FOTN report, nearly 80% of people live in countries where individuals were arrested or imprisoned for posting content relating to political, social or religious issues. Many governments also deliberately manipulate online content for propaganda purposes, including through the deployment of information operations to sway election outcomes.
Governments both authoritarian and democratic have initiated shutdowns of parts of or even the whole internet to control public sentiment in times of social unrest and widespread protest. In India, the internet was shut down 60 times in 2024 including late last year in Ambala, Haryana ahead of planned farmers’ protest marches. In New Caledonia, TikTok was blocked by French authorities in May last year to curb protests amid dissatisfaction about proposed electoral reform. In Bangladesh, the internet was completely banned for more than five days between July and August last year amid protests against the government which eventually led to the ousting of former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina.
Source: Freedom House
As citizens around the world continue to rely on the digital domain for their everyday lives, it is important for governments to foster an online environment that offers high-quality, trustworthy and diverse information. As seen in numerous countries including a range of democracies in 2024, it is very easy for authorities to suppress free speech during times of social unrest. But in the long term, such strategies can deepen divides and resentment and increase distrust in government.
Governments must appropriately balance cyber safety with the need for digital freedom. The case of Myanmar is a clear example where controls are disproportionately being deployed to suppress the freedoms of the Burmese people. But democratic countries, on their part, need to ensure that cybersecurity measures are proportionate and in line with democratic values. Doing so will uphold human rights and reiterate the key role played by democracies in strengthening the resilience of societies around the world.
My must-reads
Internet freedom has plummeted under Myanmar’s junta: report
Radio Free AsiaSuppression of internet freedom and security in Myanmar is significantly worse today than it was four years ago, according to a group monitoring digital access in the country. The Myanmar Internet Project a digital freedom watchdog based in Thailand, reported on Tuesday that the junta caused more than 130 internet blackouts in 82 townships in 10 regions and states in 2024 alone.
Experts warn public to be cautious as cybersecurity law may be used for increased suppression
Burma News InternationalAccording to technology experts, the military junta in Myanmar will likely intensify its suppression of the public through the recently enacted Cybersecurity Law, which aims to restrict citizens’ freedom to use the internet. “Locals need to be extra cautious about this law. If arrested for one offense, it could lead to additional charges. For instance, someone detained for a motorcycle-related issue could also be investigated for VPN usage. To protect yourself, deactivate VPNs when traveling or hide them if you can’t deactivate them,” offered the technology expert.
Government-imposed internet shutdowns cost over $7 billion in 2024
TechRadarIncreasingly more governments are using internet shutdowns to influence protests, conflict, elections and even national exams. These incidents not only infringe on people's digital rights but also have a considerable toll on the country's economy. One estimate suggests that government-imposed internet shutdowns cost US$7.69 billion in 2024, with Pakistan (US$1.62 billion), Myanmar (US$1.58 billion) and Sudan (US$1.12 billion) being the most affected countries.