Understanding the spread of hate speech, propaganda and disinformation through social media, and the trajectory of government responses to its spread, can provide us with useful analytical tools to counter these harmful practices and reduce the discrimination and violence they provoke. Introduction Inter-ethnic and sectarian violence has been a recurring feature of Myanmar’s colonial-era and post-independence politics. Long-standing conflict between the Myanmar military and ethnic armed organizations representing the country’s ethnic minorities has caused numerous deaths, widespread displacement, and a deep scar on national unity that is unlikely to heal in the short run. Violence across religious lines has also been widespread, with the most recent conflict involving the Rohingya minority in Rakhine State the most dramatic example. Since political liberalization picked up speed in 2012, and telecommunications were deregulated in 2013, social media usage has skyrocketed, with increasing access to social media through mobile phones. An array of groups, including both state actors and non-state groups, has increasingly used social media as a channel to spread rumors that promote discrimination and attacks against ethnic and religious minorities. With over 18 million internet users in Myanmar in 2018, most of them accessing the internet through Facebook on their phones, it is likely that social media will continue to be a channel for groups seeking to promote ethnic or religious discrimination and strife (Callahan, 2019). The rise of social media usage in Myanmar has, as in many other countries, led to an increase in disinformation, propaganda, and hate speech with serious consequences. This paper argues that coordinated efforts to inflame hatred and anger across ethnic and religious divides in Myanmar have created a trajectory in which: 1) Increased expression of ethnic and religious discrimination, through disinformation, propaganda, and hate speech on social media have created a fertile ground for ethnic and sectarian violence; 2) Attempts by government to limit such discriminatory social media content have led to greater constraints on free expression without significantly reducing the discriminatory content; 3) The vacuum of information and public space for discussion resulting from controls on social media has led to an even more fertile ground for further disinformation, propaganda and hate speech. 2