Security News > 2021 > February > Digital Warfare: Myanmar's Cyber Crackdown Explained
"People had to gather on the street and share the information," the car rental salesman told AFP. Myanmar did not have easily available internet until about 2013, when a state monopoly on telecommunications ended and international companies began offering affordable sim cards.
In terms of getting online, Myanmar netizens have managed to skirt the social media blocks by using virtual private networks.
"As VPNs provide a means for citizens to bypass restrictions, authorities will often restrict them to ensure their internet shutdowns are effective," Samuel Woodhams of Top10VPN told AFP. He added that there had been reports of VPN services being blocked in Myanmar, although it was unclear exactly how many had been affected.
Some internet users in Myanmar have also circumvented the blackouts with foreign sim cards.
UN envoy for Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener spoke with the deputy commander of the Myanmar army, Soe Win, and warned that "Network blackouts undermine core democratic principles," UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.
The UN's special rapporteur for Myanmar went even further, accusing the military of declaring "War on the people".