4.4. The problematic role of algorithms Decisions made by social media platforms may have exacerbated the decline in reach.5 Changes to Facebook’s algorithms seem to have shifted the digital public square toward private individuals’ content, often at the expense of views and clicks for independent outlets. For Myanmar's media, this has contributed to a crisis of algorithmic censorship, where independent reporting is downranked, or “shadowbanned” alongside military propaganda. Under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), digital tech companies have a responsibility to ensure their operations do not worsen human rights crises. In Myanmar, the lack of transparent, rights-based decision-making means that algorithmic shifts can extend the military's information gap, prioritising sensationalism and disinformation, and making it harder for the public to find verified facts during times of conflict. This has contributed to a crisis of algorithmic censorship, where independent reporting is downranked, or “shadow-banned” 4.5. Forced migration to other platforms Technical, surveillance, and economic barriers may also be forcing people to migrate away from Facebook to platforms that are cheaper to access, potentially less monitored, and unblocked.6 While platform migration is typically a sign of a healthy market, forced migration in Myanmar risks harming both individuals and society. Human rights protections vary significantly across these services. After much criticism, Facebook has invested in Myanmar-language moderation and maintains a formal commitment to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). In contrast, some alternative platforms lack moderation entirely, or use inadequate AI-powered tools, and have no formal human rights policies. This forced migration also risks pushing the public into fragmented information silos. When a society is split into separate communities with no shared reality, the possibility for democratic reconciliation and a pluralistic public square disappears. This fragmentation represents a long-term cost to peace and justice in Myanmar. 5 It is not possible to measure the impact of these algorithmic changes alone due to a lack of platform transparency. However, it is clear from the disaggregated data that the decline is not caused by algorithms alone because various types of media have been affected differently. 6 Platform migration is difficult to track. Internet usage datasets are based on potential access rather than actual or sustained access. Datasets on platform use are published by the companies themselves, based on advertising opportunities, rather than independent organisations, and may therefore be unreliable. Page 13 of 24