Myanmar’s Silent Digital Crisis – The Diplomat

The recent arrest of Telegram CEO and founder Pavel Durov in Paris has highlighted global concerns over the platform’s rapid, unregulated growth. The development highlights Telegram’s potential as a haven for cybercriminals, as investigations scrutinize its content moderation and role in enabling crimes like child pornography and cyberfraud. Less discussed is how Telegram also enables cybercrime and non-consensual pornography in war-torn Myanmar.

Following the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, Myanmar’s military regime intensified its control over information, targeting social media for their role in enabling free communication. The junta banned major platforms such as Facebook, Messenger, and X (formerly Twitter), conducted arbitrary phone searches, and banned VPNs, isolating the country from global scrutiny while increasing its ability to monitor citizens. Privacy concerns were heightened as the military’s State Administration Council (SAC) monitored social media accounts and prosecuted individuals under Section 505(a) of the Criminal Code for allegedly undermining the military’s authority. Amid this growing repression, Telegram gained popularity due to its accessibility and perceived security in a climate of shrinking online freedoms.

The SAC notably exempted Telegram from its social media bans, positioning it as a safer and more accessible platform amid Myanmar’s civil war. Initially, it played a crucial role in maintaining communications and protecting user privacy, attracting those looking for safe channels. However, its privacy features, intended to protect users, were quickly exploited. As a poorly moderated platform hosting channels with up to 200,000 members, Telegram became a breeding ground for cybercrime. The allowance of unauthorized sensitive content, combined with features such as unlimited cloud storage and large file uploads, further fueled the spread of adult-oriented material, particularly non-consensual pornography.

A lack of regulation and weak cybersecurity have allowed Telegram channels sharing non-consensual pornography to spread unchecked, normalizing this cybercrime over the past three years. Despite its growth, online sextortion remains largely ignored in a society where sex education is taboo. These channels, which have tens of thousands of followers, offer VIP access to the latest illegal content, while older material is often sponsored by gambling sites. This has created a monetized ecosystem of easily accessible pirated content, embedding this harmful practice in Myanmar’s digital landscape and exposing a vulnerable population to exploitation.

In Myanmar, sexual relations are culturally restricted to marriage and, shockingly, rape victims are sometimes forced to marry their attackers. A deeply ingrained culture of victim blaming isolates women and unfairly holds them responsible for their own trauma. Criminals exploit these conservative norms to protect their distribution of non-consensual pornography and sextortion. They prey on young, vulnerable women who, shaped by societal values, often remain silent and blame themselves rather than seeking justice.

A striking example is the story of Ma Ingyin (not her real name), a 20-year-old student who became a victim of sextortion after her boyfriend sold her nude photos to Telegram channels. She was bombarded with threats, with some demanding sex or money to keep her images private, and one even threatening to report her to the military government, putting her family in danger. Terrified, she blocked those who demanded sex, paid others, and eventually retreated from social media. Sadly, many young women in Myanmar face a similar fate, trapped by the non-consensual sharing of their private images, and powerless in the face of a military regime, a failed justice system, and a deeply conservative society.

Myanmar’s strict ban on pornography and conservative views on sex have created a demand for non-consensual content on Telegram. Channel administrators have taken advantage of this, creating an illicit market fueled largely by vengeful ex-boyfriends, spy cameras in hotels, and hackers infiltrating devices to sell personal data. Prices for such content range from 30,000 to 50,000 MMK (about $6 to $8), but the market continues to grow.

The more visible a victim’s face, the higher the price, while male faces are often obscured, revealing an intent to target vulnerable women. Telegram admins shield the identities of dealers while exposing victims, with celebrities and influencers being particularly lucrative targets. Perpetrators extort victims and offer to remove content for money, but it often ends up in VIP channels and quickly goes viral on social media. Leaked celebrity sex tapes have even become a trend, dangerously normalizing this exploitative practice in Myanmar.

A pressing question is how young women in Myanmar cope with the relentless threats and exploitation associated with non-consensual pornography. Since the 2021 military coup, Myanmar’s justice system has collapsed amid the ongoing revolution, with the regime losing control and the civil war fueling widespread lawlessness, allowing sextortion and other illegal activities to flourish with no consequences for the criminals. Revolutionary groups focused on fighting the regime have also been unable to address these issues, leaving victims without protection or justice. Desperate for relief, many victims pay Telegram administrators, but while some are able to stop the extortion, others are coerced into sexual acts, leaving them facing further exploitation or even sex slavery. With little faith in the justice system, those who do seek justice are often exposed to the public, deepening their trauma. In this climate of fear and lawlessness, many women remain trapped in a cycle of abuse and exploitation.

In addition to the financial toll of ransom demands for leaked nude photos and sex tapes, societal shame and pressure is causing deep psychological trauma for young women already struggling with the hardships of a war-torn country. With ineffective law enforcement and ambiguous legal protections, there is little hope of curbing the spread of non-consensual pornography. However, the widespread suffering of these victims can no longer be ignored by responsible stakeholders in Myanmar. The continued sexual exploitation of innocent young women urgently demands attention and action, as they remain trapped in a cruel cycle of abuse and exploitation.

The ongoing conflict in Myanmar underscores the urgent need to tackle cybercrime, such as non-consensual pornography and sextortion, which thrive on unregulated social media platforms. With limited cybersecurity resources, the risks are even more serious in fragile states like Myanmar. Tailor-made policies are crucial to protect vulnerable populations in conflict zones, where lawlessness and exploitation are rampant. Without urgent action, these harmful practices will become entrenched, causing lasting damage and further destabilizing Myanmar’s digital and social landscape, even after the end of the civil war. Now is the time for intervention to prevent irreversible damage.