iMAP Myanmar 2023 Internet Censorship Report | Page 22 media, internet, and mobile connections have been fully controlled by the State Administrative Council (SAC),74 affecting internet speeds and social media platform access, and websites have been banned.75 Under the two-year military coup, 43 ISPs have been operating in Myanmar based on OONI data (see Annex II). Even though the number of internet users had rapidly increased in the previous years, the unexpected transition back to high censorship and Internet restrictions has seen periodic blackouts of the internet, inability to use VPNs, reductions in internet speeds, increases in price for mobile data and SIMs cards, poor telecommunication infrastructure, and electricity supply shortages; all of these largely affect internet users. The general impact has resulted in a general reduction of online usage, mainly due to increased fear and insecurity. Additionally, pro-democracy defender or Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) advocates proactively discourage the use of mobile connections using telco-services that are associated with the military junta, further reducing internet usage and online activities. 74 Lehmann-Jacobsen, E. (2021). The military tightens its grip on access to information in Myanmar. The Diplomat.https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/the-military-tightens-its-grip-on-access-to-information-in-myanmar/ 75 Lehmann-Jacobsen, E. (2021). The military tightens its grip on access to information in Myanmar. The Diplomat.https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/the-military-tightens-its-grip-on-access-to-information-in-myanmar/