Mizzima.com-Feb 16
The military junta has revived a draconian cybersecurity bill that would provide sweeping powers to the authorities, according to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) report. The bill would allow the junta to access user data, block websites, order internet shutdowns, and prosecute critics and representatives of non-complying companies. The Cybersecurity Law was initially proposed a week after the coup. The current draft, includes new provisions that would ban use of virtual private networks (VPNs), abolish the need for certain evidentiary proof at trial, and require online service providers to block or remove online criticism of junta leaders. Ten international chambers of commerce in Myanmar issued a joint statement on 28 January 2022, that said the proposed law “disrupts the free flow of information and directly impacts businesses’ abilities to operate legally and effectively in Myanmar.” The law applies not only to social media and other content-sharing platforms, but also to digital marketplaces, search engines, financial services, data processing services, and communications services providing messaging or video calls and games. The use of VPNs to browse the internet would be a criminal offense without specific permission from an as-yet-unspecified ministry authorized to deal with cybersecurity, punishable by up to three years in prison. Read more at: https://www.mizzima.com/article/myanmar-introduce-draconian-new-cybersecurity-bill
