Using VPN in Myanmar has become almost second nature now. It's like a constant cycle - one VPN stops working, you switch to another, that one stops, so you switch again. It's a kind of adaptation we've gotten used to. But to say it's convenient would be far from the truth.

Myanmar is currently relying heavily on VPNs, especially to access popular news websites and social media platforms that are otherwise inaccessible without a VPN.

So what are the consequences of using VPNs?

Recently, Myanmar has been stepping up its VPN restrictions with technological assistance from China. It's reported that Chinese technicians and tech companies have been providing support to implement this plan.

Initially, when the restrictions began, it was still possible to access social media platforms like Facebook using a reliable VPN. However, that's no longer the case. This raises questions about how China has managed to control VPNs in Myanmar to this extent, and what methods they've used to assist.

If you're using a VPN to access social media platforms, it's worth considering how much of your personal data might already be in Chinese hands. Even a superpower like the United States is wary of China when it comes to technology. Moreover, China, even before Myanmar, had declared VPN use illegal.

To understand the connection between China and VPNs, it's important to note that China has implemented massive barriers and restrictions on VPN use. They've imposed severe limitations, or even outright bans.

This might lead you to ask, "Is it impossible to use VPNs in China?" The answer is no, it's not impossible. How can they use something that's deemed illegal? Well, the Chinese government allows the establishment of VPN service providers. These VPN service providers work in collaboration with provincial governments.

These businesses are allowed to operate as long as they cooperate with the provincial government. So, the Chinese government officially permits these VPN service providers under their terms. To put it simply, if VPN companies follow the Chinese government's plans, they get operating licenses; if not, they don't.

So what's the first thing you lose when you use a VPN? Your personal data. All the data you use flows to the Chinese provincial and central governments. This is another way the Chinese government controls VPNs from the other side.

The Chinese government doesn't just control VPNs; they also restrict internet flow. To control internet flow, China has built the Great Firewall. China constructed the Great Firewall to regulate internet traffic between China and the rest of the world. China employs methods to block access to popular websites and social media platforms, and even filters out certain words from search engines.

The Chinese government has blocked access to many famous websites. To give you a clear picture, Wikipedia, Google Suite, Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, Gmail, OneDrive, Pinterest, Twitter, CNN, BBC, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Snapchat are all inaccessible in China. Even the currently popular ChatGPT is not allowed in China. To use these, a VPN is necessary. That's why people who absolutely need to use these websites have to connect with VPN service providers. Once you connect with these service providers, your personal data is compromised.

In China, there are two types of VPNs: those approved by the Chinese government and those that are not. Even if you use unapproved VPNs, they might work for a short while, but in the long run, these VPNs become ineffective or have connection difficulties.

If the Chinese government discovers anyone selling or creating unauthorized VPNs, they impose prison sentences or fines. Prison sentences can range from 3 days to 5 years, depending on the severity of the offense.

VPNs, especially free ones, don't work effectively in China. This is because free VPNs have to frequently update their server IP addresses. This makes it difficult to bypass China's internet censorship. The Chinese government, through its Great Firewall system, can easily trace free VPNs and block them once detected. Currently, in Myanmar, which has received technological assistance from China, similar VPN-related barriers are becoming evident.

"Foreign visitors to China can still use VPNs" - this statement has been heard recently. Yes, visitors to China can use VPNs. As long as they don't enter areas with strict checks and interrogations, VPNs work perfectly fine for foreign visitors in China.

However, in some areas, Chinese police may conduct random checks on foreigners' phones. If they find VPN software during these checks, the police typically demand immediate deletion. Visitors to Xinjiang in northwest China have even reported that Chinese authorities installed surveillance apps on their phones.

Free VPNs are using various methods to overcome the restrictions imposed in China. International tech experts advise that to overcome these restrictions, continuous use of various technologies and encryption processes is necessary.

The weakness of free VPNs is their inability to continuously use encryption processes to bypass China's technological barriers, and their lack of daily efforts to overcome these barriers through technological competition. As a result, once the Chinese internet police trace them, free VPNs become unusable. The Chinese internet police can restrict these VPNs as soon as they discover their basic encryption methods and connection processes.

The biggest problem with free VPNs is their complete lack of reliability.

Inconsistent internet connectivity and frequent disconnections are daily challenges faced by free VPN users. Top-tier VPNs, on the other hand, are reliable in this aspect. These premium VPNs, which require substantial payment to prevent security breaches, offer guarantees. Their kill-switch feature ensures continuous connection and protects users' personal data from being compromised.

However, as China continuously upgrades its VPN blocking technology, your data flow will still reach China through the VPN. Therefore, once you start using a VPN to access the internet, there's no guarantee of safety. Free VPNs can even slow down internet speeds, causing difficulties in internet usage.

In Myanmar, after February 2021, internet access was cut off in ethnic regions for years. Now, VPN restrictions have been added. As a result, Myanmar is now ranked just behind China and Iran in the list of countries with the least internet freedom globally.

The situation of internet freedom in Myanmar has deteriorated to such an extent that after controlling VPN usage with Chinese technological assistance, everything has taken a nosedive. Most Myanmar citizens use free VPNs. Now, a free VPN that works today might not work tomorrow, or one that works for three days might stop working on the fourth day. Everyone is experiencing slow internet speeds when using VPNs. Following the weaknesses of free VPNs, their inability to continuously update encryption processes and lack of daily technological competition efforts have led to VPNs becoming completely unusable despite working fine previously.

This should give you an idea of how significant China's technological impact on VPNs is and to what extent they can impose restrictions.

So what about Myanmar? Yes, VPNs in Myanmar are also restricted using a combination of Chinese methods and Myanmar's own approach. How effective this is in Myanmar is evident from the challenges people are currently facing.

Nway Oo Ywat War (Y3A)

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