Myanmar protesters find alternative paths in internet shutdown

The internet, mobile, and social media shutdown in Myanmar left protesters vulnerable to rumours and at a disadvantage in organising opposition to the 2021 military coup. Coordination was done via phone, word of mouth, and the Bluetooth-based messaging app Bridgefy, which was downloaded more than 1 million times in Myanmar in the days after the coup. All plans include both online and offline contingency arrangements; a second disruptive possibility is intermittent interruptions and throttling of secure services in order to push demonstrators onto less secure ones. It is unclear what user data or surveillance government may be requiring of Myanmar's four ISPs. The junta has already detained hundreds of people and suspended laws protecting individual property and privacy.

https://restofworld.org/2021/in-myanmar-the-junta-is-watching/

Writer: Peter Guest

Publication: Rest of World