Military-Ruled Myanmar Falls to Bottom of Internet Freedom Ranking – The Diplomat 10/23/24, 10:29 AM live in countries with a “free” internet. Specifically, it found that Myanmar had fallen to the bottom of the ranking, where it now sits alongside China. Both nations received a total score of just 9 out of 100 on three broad categories: obstacles to internet access, limits on content, and violations of user rights. The report noted that it was the first time in a decade that China had “shared its designation as the world’s worst environment for internet freedom with a second country.” The report refers specifically to the military junta’s imposition of a “new censorship system” and restriction of access to virtual private networks (VPNs) that allow users to evade junta internet controls, against a backdrop of ferocious political oppression. “Since seizing power in a 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military has conducted a brutally violent crackdown on dissent and imprisoned thousands of people in retaliation for their online speech, all while building a mass censorship and surveillance regime to suppress the activities of civilian https://thediplomat.com/2024/10/military-ruled-myanmar-falls-to-bottom-of-internet-freedom-ranking/ Page 3 of 7