Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military has consolidated control over the country’s mobile service providers, putting activists, opposition members and journalists at greater risk of surveillance, according to experts. The consolidation of mobile service providers means “people lose out on being able to express themselves freely or enjoy the privacy of their communications,” he said. Consolidating control over mobile service providers is part of the military's broader strategy to monitor and censor the internet, according to experts and journalists. In Myanmar, telecom company ownership is shrouded in layers of secrecy. A former Myanmar telecom company employee, however, told VOA that to a certain extent, it doesn’t matter that all four companies are now linked to the military to varying degrees.

Source: Ethiopian News May 16, 2023 21:08 UTC