Myanmar junta's proposed cyber bill alarms Internet giants

[snoop1130]

Myanmar junta's proposed cyber bill alarms Internet giants

 

FILE PHOTO: People rally against the military coup and to demand the release of elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, in Yangon, Myanmar, February 9, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File photo

 

(Reuters) - A group of the world's biggest internet companies joined Myanmar civil society on Thursday in raising alarm over cyber laws floated by the new junta, saying they would contravene fundamental rights and hurt the economy.

 

The 36 pages outlining the proposed laws were given to mobile operators and telecoms license holders for comment on Tuesday - just over a week after the army overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, the civil society groups said.

 

Spokesmen for the government and telecommunication ministry did not answer telephone calls seeking comment.

 

The proposed bill would give unprecedented censorship powers and violate privacy, contravening democratic norms and fundamental rights, said the Asia Internet Coalition, whose members include Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon.

 

"This would significantly undermine freedom of expression and represents a regressive step after years of progress," the group said in a statement.

 

"We urge the military leaders to consider the potentially devastating consequences of these proposed laws on Myanmar’s people and economy."

 

A copy of the proposed bill, reviewed by Reuters, says its aims include protecting the public and preventing crime and the use of electronic technology to harm the state or its stability.

 

It says internet providers would have to prevent or remove content deemed to "cause hatred, destroy unity and tranquillity" to be "untruthful news or rumours" or to be inappropriate to Myanmar's culture, such as pornography.

 

"We are aware of the draft cyber security bill and are in the process of reviewing it," said Cathrine Stang Lund, a spokeswoman for mobile operator Telenor.

 

More than 150 Myanmar civil society organisations said in a statement: "The so-called bill includes clauses which violate human rights, including the rights to freedom of expression, data protection and privacy, and other democratic principles and human rights."

 

Days after seizing power, the military rulers banned Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms where its critics had voiced opposition. The junta blocked the Internet for a day, but that did not stop giant anti-coup protests.

 

Myanmar was one of the world's most isolated countries under military rule from 1962 to 2011, when a quasi-civilian government began liberalisation.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-11

 

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[YetAnother]

1 hour ago, snoop1130 said:

Spokesmen for the government and telecommunication ministry did not answer telephone calls seeking comment.

capsulizes the new myanmar; worse than the older model

[ChrisY1]

If this new bill is as described, then it would be almost impossible for providers such as FB, Google and etc, to operate at all....either practically or ethically.

It would however, turn back the clock on Myanmar to times when mobile data was not available. "General" Hlain is a serious misfit....all this has happened because of him....!

[mlmcleod]

2 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

If this new bill is as described, then it would be almost impossible for providers such as FB, Google and etc, to operate at all....either practically or ethically.

It would however, turn back the clock on Myanmar to times when mobile data was not available. "General" Hlain is a serious misfit....all this has happened because of him....!

I suggest that the suppression of Facebook, Google, etc. is the entire reason for the law.  Eventually all of these repressive regimes will require that the internet goes though a single choke point as is currently the case for China.  Then the leader of the time can just shut off the internet with a single switch.  Those firms that are banking on always having a free internet need to begin to rethink their strategies!

[AsiaCheese]

18 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The proposed bill would give unprecedented censorship powers and violate privacy, contravening democratic norms and fundamental rights, said the Asia Internet Coalition, whose members include Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon.

 

"This would significantly undermine freedom of expression and represents a regressive step after years of progress," the group said in a statement.

 

Yes, it would giver another paranoïd government another censorship tool, and that's not good. But: the "Asia Internet Coalition" pays lip service to "fundamental rights" and cares exactly about one thing: their quasi-world-dominance in sitting at the trough and sifting off profits, tax free of course. They couldn't care less about their role in polarizing issues and people - to the contrary: there's more money to be made from that.

[Hayduke]

23 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The proposed bill would give unprecedented censorship powers and violate privacy, contravening democratic norms and fundamental rights

 

Sounds like the beginning of perfect plan for true world-class tyranny and oppression. If you didn’t know better….you would almost think this program was being put together in China.

 

 

 

Edited February 12, 2021 by Hayduke

[bangon04]

as the western-style liberal democracies condemn Myanmar, the junta turns more and more towards China...   Debt-Trap Diplomacy, anyone?