Myanmar's new military government has ordered local telecoms to block Facebook and its family of apps within the country until February 7
Myanmar's new military government has ordered local telecom firms to temporarily block Facebook in the Southeast Asian nation days after the military seized power …
TechCrunchManish Singh
Context & Ripple Effects
The Facebook restriction was the opening move in a widening communications clampdown: Myanmar's military government soon extended blocks to Twitter and Instagram and later ordered a mobile-internet shutdown. Facebook subsequently reduced the military's reach on its services before banning military-controlled entities, making platform access part of the confrontation rather than a neutral distribution channel.
First-order effects
Myanmar telecom firms must enforce the order, while Facebook users and businesses in the country lose access to Facebook's family of apps through February 7.
Facebook loses a key channel for users in Myanmar just as the military government seeks to restrict online communication after taking power.
Second-order effects
The later blocks on Twitter and Instagram show that restricting one major social platform shifts the military government's enforcement burden to other widely used services and their network access points.
Facebook's later ban on military-controlled entities removes the military's ability to use Facebook and Instagram for official distribution, further separating the platform from state-controlled messaging.
Third-order effects
The progression from app-specific blocks to a mobile-internet shutdown points to telecom infrastructure becoming a direct instrument of political control when platform restrictions do not achieve the government's objective.
For global platforms, content-moderation decisions and national network controls become intertwined: governments can restrict reach at the carrier level while platforms restrict state-linked accounts at the service level.
The trend: Myanmar's escalating restrictions are an example of governments using telecom controls alongside platform access rules to shape the online information environment.
LATEST DEVELOPMENT : New military government orders telecom companies to temporarily block Facebook as they assume the social media platform is disturbing the restoration of stability in the country. Jumping back to 2000s in three days. #myanmar https://twitter.com/...
⚠️ Confirmed: Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp servers are now restricted in #Myanmar on state-owned internet provider MPT; real-time metrics show selective filtering in place even as basic connectivity is restored following military coup 📉 📰 https://netblocks.org/... …
BREAKING: Myanmar's government is now blocking Facebook (including Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger) until Feb 7 at midnight. Over 22 million people use Facebook in Myanmar, and it's a critical tool for citizens to share information and organize. #KeepitOn https://twitter.com/.…
Myanmar's new junta has blocked Facebook - which is used by half of Myanmar's people and is a critical platform there for business as well as communications and news. https://www.reuters.com/... #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar
Military-owned telecommunications network is a key target of civil disobedience. Mytel symbolises repression, surveillance, greed, corruption and hypocrisy. Mytel and the whole military cartel must be dismantled. #BoycottMytel #MyanmarCoup #JusticeForMyanmar https://twitter.com/.…
What's really grating about this is that coup supporters exploited Facebook to the max to amplify their narratives, and even the new (Dis)information Minister amplified one of the worst propaganda outlets on there (removed, but still amplified obliquely) https://twitter.com/...
#Myanmar is fast returning to the dark days of over a decade ago - military government orders mobile companies to block @Facebook to halt communications. Recall that #Facebook = the internet for most people in Myanmar. #MyanmarCoup https://twitter.com/...
The popular resistance to the coup is using social media to gather numbers. Blocking these mediums is clearly an attempt by the military to stymie opposition https://twitter.com/...
Facebook statement on Myanmar: “We are aware that access to Facebook is currently disrupted for some people. We urge authorities to restore connectivity so that people in Myanmar can communicate with their families and friends and access important information.”
Widespread reports this morning of internet disruptions in Myanmar with Facebook not accessible on some networks. Many people downloading VPNs. https://twitter.com/...
#FB blocked in #Myanmar. Some stats here on widespread use. #Myanmar has some 26 million #Facebook users. Many citizens almost solely dependent on FB for information. At least 1 data tracking firm, @DataReportal shows Myanmar mobile/internet penetration #WhatishappeninginMyanmar …
The idea that “disinformation” is something that just happened during the last four years is absurd. How did the U.S. public become the most ill-informed, easily manipulated public on the planet if not as a result of systematic “disinformation” from the rulers?
Quite worrying as everybody in Myanmar only use Facebook as internet and communicate through it. Currently, partially state-owned MPT operators already stop providing overall mobile internet service.
Typical tactic of military coup masters. First they disturb the stability themselves. Then they go after everything on the pretext of restoring stability. Just like the puppeteers of our hybrid regime. https://twitter.com/...