Myanmar

Summary

Myanmar presents a high-control, high-uncertainty environment. Since the February 2021 military coup, the State Administration Council (SAC) has enacted or amended digital laws to maximise state surveillance and restrict online activity. The Cybersecurity Law (State Administration Council Law No. 1/2025, enacted 1 January 2025, came into effect 30 July 2025) comprises 16 chapters and 88 sections. It criminalises cyber misuse including unauthorized access, alteration, deletion, or sale of computer programs or data, and unauthorized control of computer systems — punishable by 6 months to 3 years' imprisonment and/or fines of MMK 1-20 million (~USD 476-9,530). It mandates platform data retention for three years with mandatory handover to SAC authorities on request, and bans unauthorized VPN use (up to 6 months imprisonment). The Electronic Transactions Law (2004, amended 2021) added personal data management and new offences. No comprehensive personal data protection law has been enacted. International critics, including Access Now and APHR, classify the Cybersecurity Law as highly restrictive and incompatible with international human rights standards. Practical crawling posture is high risk; even public-page access may implicate broad criminal provisions under junta interpretation. Law text is available from the Ministry of Information (English) and via Tilleke & Gibbins / DFDL analysis, but full article-level English translations are not officially consolidated. Human review required due to conflict context and enforcement unpredictability.