The junta continues to block access to Facebook, Myanmar’s most popular social media platform, as political conflict and civil war rage in the aftermath of the coup, leaving the public with severely restricted access to finding and sharing news, sources told Than Lwin Times.
Since staging the coup on February 1, 2021, the junta has imposed internet and phone blackouts, restricted social media freedom, and cracked down on free speech on those platforms.
The junta is holding a phased election under the pretext of transferring power to a civilian government, but by the end of the two voting phases in late December and early January, it had not lifted restrictions on social media use or freedom of expression.
As another measure to suppress social media freedom, the junta is hunting down, arresting, and prosecuting Facebook account owners for writing, sharing, or reacting to content opposing the junta-run election.
One Facebook user said he no longer dares to express his political views on social media for fear of becoming a target of the junta.
“Even commenting on a political post can get us into trouble under laws issued by the junta, so we don’t dare comment at all,” he said. He added that politically sensitive content and information are no longer shared on Facebook but discussed only in person with close and trusted people.
In late July, the coup regime began enforcing the Law on the Protection of Multiparty Democratic Elections from Obstruction, Disruption, and Destruction—commonly known as the election protection law—and, according to junta-controlled newspapers, around 240 actions have been taken under the law, with more than 330 people prosecuted.
Hundreds of people have been arrested for posting anti-junta content on social media since the coup. On July 30 last year, the junta also enacted a cybersecurity law to crack down on online propaganda against it, creating a climate of fear among the Myanmar public.
The junta has also established a 24-hour committee to monitor online news, counter anti-coup content, and take action.
According to Athan, an activist group advocating for freedom of expression, the junta used artificial intelligence (AI) for online surveillance and arrested around 1,650 people in 2025.
In addition, junta-imposed blackouts have left 131 townships in Myanmar without internet access. A survey by Athan, reported on January 2, found that more than 75 percent of Myanmar citizens feel restricted in their freedom of expression.
A woman from Anyar, commonly referred to as Myanmar’s central dry zone, said that since 2021, her native area has been cut off from the internet, severely restricting access to and the flow of information.
“Our area has been without internet access since 2021, so we couldn’t rely on it for information anymore. Recently, we’ve been able to use Starlink, which helps somewhat, but it only meets about 20 percent of our actual needs. On top of that, information from social networks like Facebook is often mixed with falsehoods, and our ability to fact-check it is limited. With the electricity also cut off, getting news from TV and radio is difficult too,” she said.
Data for Myanmar said that despite the challenges, millions of Facebook users have remained active in the country since 2021, despite the junta’s restrictions on Facebook, limited internet access, and reduced network coverage. It released a report on the Myanmar media landscape on Facebook on January 7, based on data collected from 96 local media outlets.
In 2025, media outlets shared over 270,000 pieces of content including photos, text, and videos, receiving 442.8 million reactions, 14.5 million comments, and 18.7 million shares.
Facebook remains a key platform for independent media outlets to reach the public. Currently, 96 outlets are producing an average of 740 news items per day, a slight decline from previous years.
Furthermore, Donald Trump’s presidency in the United States led to policy shifts that reduced aid to media organizations, making 2025 a challenging year for Myanmar’s media, Data for Myanmar noted.
