4/4/22, 7:38 PM Myanmar renews plans to curb internet usage with VPN ban - Nikkei Asia "One of the very few successful advocacy efforts by businesses following the coup was [shelving of the] first cybersecurity bill. It was quite phenomenal," a Yangon industry source familiar with the matter said. "I think it will probably get a similar level of opposition this time." Companies are worried about how a new law would hinder operations. Many, if not all, network operators, financial institutions and tech companies rely on VPN connections to operate, said a telecom executive based in Yangon. "A blanket ban would be cumbersome and further hurt the business environment," the executive told Nikkei Asia. "Companies will struggle to comply and costly IT investments may be required. It's not purely about companies -- consumers also use VPNs for a variety of reasons, from accessing business services to accessing news and social media." According to the annual "Freedom on the Net" report published by global nonprofit Freedom House last September, Myanmar was classified as "Not Free," marking the biggest decline in internet freedom scores among all nations evaluated. Stay ahead with our exclusives on Asia Sign up to our newsletters to get our best stories delivered straight into your inbox. Register This is your last free article this month Get to trusted from experts withinwhich Asiaare itself. By continuing browse insights this website, you accept cookies used for several reasons such as personalizing content/ads and analyzing how this website is used. Please review our Cookie Policy to learn how you can update your cookie settings. Try 3 months for $9 Accept & Continue https://asia.nikkei.com/Spotlight/Myanmar-Crisis/Myanmar-renews-plans-to-curb-internet-usage-with-VPN-ban Close 3/3