Facebook blocked in Myanmar after users protest military coup

The Myanmar government has blocked access to Facebook in the country, after users turned to company services to protest this week’s military coup.

In a statement made to The Wall Street Journal, Facebook confirmed that the country’s telecommunications providers had been ordered to block its services, adding: “We urge the authorities to restore connectivity so that the people of Myanmar can communicate with their family and friends and access the information. important.

The Myanmar government has ordered services to be blocked until Sunday.

The lockdown comes after users took to the social network to protest after the military ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi and detained her along with other members of her party.

The WSJ notes that Facebook users were sharing photos of themselves banging pans in protest, as well as images of a three-fingered salute – a gesture that has become a sign of resistance in the region.

Telecom provider Telenor has confirmed to Nikkeithat he followed the government’s orders, claiming to have “decided to comply with the directive, while expressing serious concerns about the violation of human rights”.

The WSJ reports that an internet watchdog organization NetBlocks has confirmed that Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp are all unavailable through Myanmar’s national post and telecom network.

Facebook is an integral part of Myanmar’s internet ecosystem.

“For the majority of Myanmar’s 20 million citizens connected to the Internet, Facebook is the Internet,” a 2018 report said, and Nikkei notes that Messenger is the primary communication channel for most of its citizens.

About half of the country’s population is believed to have a Facebook account, which means any attempt to block the service is a big decision.

This close relationship between Myanmar’s Internet and Facebook has created problems.

In 2018, Facebook admitted that it had not done enough to “prevent our platform from being used to foment division and incite offline violence,” after critics said its platform had played a role in genocidal violence in the country.

Facebook said it was investing in “people, technology and partnerships to examine and tackle Facebook abuse in Myanmar.”