Myanmar’s Digital Crackdown is Worsening: The World is Stepping Back | TechPolicy.Press 7/24/25, 12:16 PM People living along the Thailand-Myanmar border face additional challenges. Since 2024, the Thai government has intensified its crackdown on the importation of Starlink terminals and other communication devices, citing e!orts to combat online scam networks. However, this policy has severely impacted the Myanmar activist community, particularly those facilitating the transfer of secure communication tools to resistance groups inside Myanmar. Myanmar activists and civil society groups based in Thailand have faced targeted raids, arrests, and o"ce shutdowns by Thai authorities for importing these communication devices. e-ID: a tool for surveillance and coercion The military has continued to expand its digital surveillance capabilities. At the core of this new regime is what civil society monitors refer to as the Personal Scrutinization and Monitoring System. This is believed to be a centralized military-run database that collects information on people’s location history, criminal records, financial activity, and more. OUR CONTENT DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX. Join our newsletter on issues and ideas at the intersection of tech & democracy Enter email address Subscribe https://www.techpolicy.press/myanmars-digital-crackdown-is-worsening-the-world-is-stepping-back/ Page 4 of 7