Facebook, Instagram place immediate ban on Myanmar military

Facebook, the social media giant, removed the military of Myanmar and its allies from its sites.

The company said it acted after determining that “the risks are too high to allow the Tatmadaw [Myanmar military] on Facebook and Instagram.”

Facebook was used by the military to raise its assertion of voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Facebook is used by half of Myanmar’s people, and is synonymous with the internet for many.

Facebook had already blocked the military’s main page just days earlier for violating its rules after the February 1 coup.

It has arrested protesters, ordered internet blackouts and even blocked social media sites – including Facebook – after the military seized power.

Facebook said in a statement late on Wednesday that it saw the “need for this ban” following the “events since the 1 February coup, including deadly violence”.

At least three protesters and one policemen having been killed in violence at rallies against the coup, which removed the South-east Asian nation’s elected government.

The social media site also said it would also prohibit ads on the platform from Tatmadaw-linked commercial entities, adding that these bans would take effect immediately and remain “indefinitely”.

The ban does not include government ministries and organizations engaged in public services, such as the Ministry of Health and Education, it added.