A group of young men were recently stopped at a security checkpoint in Yangon, Myanmar, and asked to hand over their mobile phones. After being questioned about social media apps, one was fined for using a virtual private network.
The crackdown on VPNs, which anonymize a user's Internet Protocol address and help bypass firewalls, is the latest attack on digital rights in Myanmar — alongside internet shutdowns and growing surveillance — since a military coup on Feb. 1, 2021.
Authorities say the surveillance measures are part of a drive to improve governance and curb crime.