The recent arrest of Telegram CEO and founder Pavel Durov in Paris has highlighted the global concern over the platform’s rapid, unregulated growth. This development highlights Telegram’s potential as a haven for cybercriminals, as investigations scrutinize its content moderation and role in enabling crimes like child pornography and cyber fraud. Less discussed is how Telegram is also enabling cybercrime and non-consensual pornography in war-torn Myanmar.
After the 2021 Myanmar military coup, Myanmar’s military regime intensified its control over information, targeting social media for its role in enabling free communication. The junta banned major platforms like Facebook, Messenger, and X (formerly Twitter), conducted random phone searches, and outlawed VPNs, isolating the country from global scrutiny while increasing its ability to monitor citizens. Privacy concerns escalated as the military State Administration Council (SAC) monitored social media accounts and prosecuted individuals under Section 505(a) of the penal code for allegedly undermining the military’s authority. Amid this growing repression, Telegram gained popularity for its accessibility and perceived safety in a climate of shrinking online freedoms.
The SAC notably excluded Telegram from its social media bans, positioning it as a safer and more accessible platform amid Myanmar’s civil war. Initially, it played a crucial role in maintaining communication and protecting user privacy, drawing those seeking secure channels. However, its privacy features, intended to safeguard users, were quickly exploited. As a low-moderation platform hosting channels with up to 200,000 members, Telegram became a breeding ground for cybercrimes. Its allowance of unauthorized sensitive content, paired with features like unlimited cloud storage and large file uploads, further fueled the spread of 18+ material, particularly non-consensual pornography.
Lack of regulation and weak cybersecurity have allowed Telegram channels sharing non-consensual pornography to spread unchecked, normalizing this cybercrime over the past three years. Despite its growth, online sextortion is largely ignored in a society where sex education is taboo. These channels, with tens of thousands of followers, offer VIP access to the latest illicit content, while older material is often sponsored by gambling sites. This has created a monetized ecosystem of easily accessible illicit content, embedding this harmful practice in Myanmar’s digital landscape and leaving a vulnerable population exposed to exploitation.
In Myanmar, sexual relations are culturally confined to marriage, and shockingly, rape victims are sometimes forced to marry their attackers. A deep-rooted culture of victim-blaming isolates women, unfairly holding them responsible for their own trauma. Criminals exploit these conservative norms to shield their distribution of non-consensual pornography and sextortion. They prey on young, vulnerable women who, shaped by societal values, often stay silent, blaming themselves instead of seeking justice.
A striking example is the story of Ma Ingyin (not her real name), a 20-year-old student who became a victim of sextortion after her boyfriend sold her nude photos to Telegram channels. She was bombarded with threats, some demanding sex or money to keep her images private, with one even threatening to report her to the military government, putting her family at risk. Terrified, she blocked those demanding sex, paid others, and eventually withdrew from social media. Sadly, many young women in Myanmar face similar fates, trapped by the non-consensual sharing of their private images, and powerless against the military regime, a failing legal system, and a deeply conservative society.
The strict bans on pornography and conservative views on sex in Myanmar have driven a demand for non-consensual content on Telegram. Channel administrators have exploited this, creating an illegal market primarily supplied by vengeful ex-boyfriends, spy cameras in hotels, and hackers who infiltrate devices to sell personal data. Prices for such content range from 30,000 to 50,000 MMK (around $6 to $8), yet the market continues to grow.
The more visible a victim’s face, the higher the price, while male faces are often obscured, revealing an intention to target vulnerable women. Telegram admins protect the identities of dealers while exposing the victims, with celebrities and influencers being especially lucrative targets. Perpetrators extort victims, offering to delete content for a fee, yet it often lands in VIP channels, quickly going viral across social media. Leaked celebrity sex tapes even trend, dangerously normalizing this exploitative practice in Myanmar.
A pressing question is how young women in Myanmar navigate the relentless threats and exploitation tied to non-consensual pornography. Since the 2021 military coup, Myanmar’s legal system has collapsed amid the ongoing revolution, with the regime losing control and civil war fueling widespread lawlessness, allowing sextortion and other illicit activities to flourish without consequence for the criminals. Revolutionary groups focused on fighting the regime are also unable to address these issues, leaving victims without protection or justice. Desperate for relief, many victims pay off Telegram admins, but while some manage to end the extortion, others are coerced into sexual acts, facing further exploitation or even sex slavery. With little trust in the legal system, those seeking justice often endure public exposure, deepening their trauma. In this climate of fear and lawlessness, many women remain trapped in a cycle of abuse and exploitation.
Beyond the financial toll of ransom demands for leaked nude photos and sex tapes, the societal shame and pressure inflict deep psychological trauma on young women already grappling with the hardships of a war-torn country. With ineffective law enforcement and ambiguous legal protections, there is little hope of stemming the spread of non-consensual pornography. However, the pervasive suffering of these victims can no longer be ignored by responsible stakeholders in Myanmar. The ongoing sexual exploitation of innocent young women urgently demands attention and action, as they remain trapped in a brutal cycle of abuse and exploitation.
Myanmar’s ongoing conflict underscores the urgent need to tackle cybercrimes like non-consensual pornography and sextortion, which thrive on unregulated social media platforms. With limited cybersecurity resources, the risks in fragile states like Myanmar are even more severe. Tailored policies are crucial to protect vulnerable populations in conflict zones, where lawlessness and exploitation run rampant. Without swift action, these harmful practices will become deeply entrenched, causing lasting damage and further destabilizing Myanmar’s digital and social landscape, beyond the end of the civil war. The time for intervention is now to prevent irreversible harm.