6 Aug 2025

Platform Accountability in Authoritarian Contexts: TikTok and Telegram in Myanmar

Four years after the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, the nature of digital repression has evolved significantly. The military has shifted from overt tactics, such as nationwide internet shutdowns, to more nuanced strategies involving psychological warfare, algorithmic manipulation, and targeted harassment. Platforms like TikTok and Telegram have been increasingly exploited for these purposes, amplifying propaganda and facilitating gendered and political harassment. This policy brief evaluates three potential approaches to address this issue: maintaining the status quo, implementing nationally regulated content moderation, and establishing an international accountability framework with localized human rights-based moderation. Drawing from global regulatory models, including the European Union's Digital Services Act and African civil-tech partnerships, this brief argues that a hybrid international-local oversight system offers the most promising path to ensuring platform accountability and digital rights in Myanmar.