Facebook urges Myanmar to unblock access to social media, as internet blackout reported after military coup – (1) the hypocrisy is shocking, and (2) something like this is planned in the West eventually and Facebook will be fine with that

Facebook has called on Myanmar to allow its citizens to freely log onto social media. A “near-total” internet shutdown has been reported in the country, after the military seized power there earlier this week.

“We are extremely concerned by orders to shut down the internet in Myanmar,” the social media company’s public policy director for Southeast Asia, Rafael Frankel, said. “We strongly urge the authorities to order the unblocking of all social media services.”

Facebook confirmed on Thursday that telecom providers in Myanmar were told to temporarily block Facebook. On Saturday, a monitoring group NetBlocks Internet Observatory reported “a near-total internet shutdown” in the country. Internet connectivity there has dropped to 16 percent of ordinary levels, the group said.

Update: A near-total internet shutdown is now in effect in #Myanmar.

Network data show a collapse of connectivity to 16% of ordinary levels from ~2 pm local time 📉

The information blackout is likely to severely limit coverage of anti-coup protests 📵

📉https://t.co/Jgc20OBk27 pic.twitter.com/b6pIM0MKQQ

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) February 6, 2021

Read more: Facebook urges Myanmar to unblock access to social media, as internet blackout reported after military coup – (1) the hypocrisy is shocking, and (2) something like this is planned in the West eventually and Facebook will be fine with that