Google and Apple Remove Myanmar Military Broadcast Apps... "Accepting Anti-Junta Group's Request"

Advertisement for the MRTV app posted on Myanmar's state-run newspaper (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] Google and Apple reportedly removed an app from the local state-run broadcaster in Myanmar, known as a propaganda tool of the military junta, just one day after its release.

According to Myanmar media outlet The Irrawaddy on the 7th, the app released by the state broadcaster MRTV was removed from both the Google Play Store and Apple App Store on the 5th. On the same day, the website using the new domain mrtvmedia.com also disappeared.

Earlier, on the 4th, MRTV held a grand ceremony in Naypyidaw to commemorate the launch of the mobile app and website, attended by Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the coup military chief.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

It is speculated that Google and others quickly responded to demands from anti-junta civil society groups monitoring the Myanmar military’s operations and networks. Justice for Myanmar (JFM), a military watchdog group, reportedly requested Google and Apple on the 5th to ban the app, calling it "part of the psychological warfare waged by the Myanmar military against its people."

Yadana Maung, a spokesperson for JFM, expressed concerns on social media that "MRTV could widely spread propaganda, falsehoods, and fake news by labeling pro-democracy figures as terrorists through regular broadcasts and airing photos of torture victims to instill fear."

She further condemned MRTV, stating, "In 2017, MRTV portrayed the Rohingya as terrorists and denied the military’s mass killings."

JFM particularly pointed out that the app, which the military junta sought to disseminate, could track location and record audio, photos, and videos depending on store permissions, posing serious risks to users.

Currently, MRTV is reportedly controlled by Myanmar’s military intelligence, led by retired General Maung Maung Aung, who is sanctioned by the European Union (EU). The Myanmar military, which staged a coup in February 2021 claiming the November 2020 general election?won decisively by pro-democracy forces?was fraudulent, has been violently suppressing the democratic movement for 14 months.