Myanmar allows Tinder but axes dissent havens Twitter, Facebook

The whitelists for internet access sent out by Myanmar’s junta, led by military chief Min Aung Hlaing, include over 750 websites and over 450 domain names. (Source photos by Reuters and Yuji Kuronuma) Nikkei staff writersMay 25, 2021 20:29 JST | MyanmarYANGON/BANGKOK — Myanmar’s junta has shared lists of over 1,200 online services and domain names it deems acceptable for public viewing, conspicuously excluding Facebook and Twitter as it looks to curb anti-coup protests, Nikkei Asia learned on Tuesday.The whitelists — shared with local internet service providers and telecommunications companies, and obtained by Nikkei from sources in the sector — contain over 750 services and 450 domains. Nearly 50 companies in the banking and financial sector are given the all-clear, alongside more than 20 delivery services, such as Grab and Foodpanda.Over 60 entertainment sites have won approval as well, from Instagram and YouTube to Netflix and Tinder. The entertainment category also includes The New York Times, CNN and Barron’s; Nikkei Asia is not on the list.The social media giants Facebook and Twitter, which pro-democracy protesters have been used heavily for communicating and organizing, are missing. But WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Viber and Zoom have been whitelisted, with remarks such as “Social media used…
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