Policing Mobile Money studies how the regime’s regulation of online financial systems impacts users and feeds into surveillance and repression. (January 2024)
By Bradley, Gar and Vox
MYANMAR DIGITAL RESEARCH 02
Executive summary
Mobile money and banking systems have become an integral part of daily life in post-pandemic Myanmar. However, following the military coup in February 2021, efforts have increased to monitor these transactions and seize the assets of those accused of supporting the resistance during Myanmar’s ongoing armed conflict, often leading to arrests.
Our research focuses on the military junta’s regulation of mobile money usage, its impact on users, and the role of online financial systems, including mobile wallets, in facilitating state surveillance. This has contributed to the rise of techno-authoritarianism in Myanmar, with the military junta transitioning from traditional surveillance methods to a more encompassing strategy, targeting dominance in cyberspace. This shift includes cooperation with telecom companies and banks, significantly enhancing surveillance capabilities.
The report also examines the emergence and viability of technologies such as encryption and social media, which play a critical role in the ongoing civil conflict and in bypassing repression techniques. Moreover, the research discusses the establishment of resilient and decentralized critical infrastructures in Myanmar to promote digital freedom. The research was conducted under repressive conditions, making interviews with key stakeholders like legal experts and banking personnel challenging due to security concerns. Despite these difficulties, the results provide valuable insights into the struggle between techno-authoritarianism and techno-democracy in Myanmar.
This Myanmar Digital Research paper was produced for the Knowledge for Democracy Myanmar (K4DM) initiative, with the aid of a grant from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and with support from The SecDev Foundation. Views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of either organization.
Over the next two years, twenty papers in the Myanmar Digital Research series will have researchers within and in the Myanmar diaspora exploring how the digital world is shaping their social, political and economic crisis, bringing new insights into issues facing Myanmar citizens.