Article
Telecom Investments Threaten Privacy Rights in Burma
The World Bank may be dangling the prospect of affordable cell phones in Burma at the expense of freedom of expression and privacy rights…To support growing investment, the World Bank – which pledged $2 billion in development aid to Burma…will approve a Telecom Sector Reform project…But the World Bank...is failing to support crucial privacy and data protection reforms…A repressive legal framework that allows for security, privacy, and human rights abuses governs the sector. These laws permit the government to engage in surveillance, censorship, cyber-attacks, collect and store user data, and disrupt communications…The World Bank has failed to consult with those whose rights are threatened by telecom expansion – the people of Burma…