FOR Ma Tin Tin Win, going clothes shopping at the mall or taking a dip in one of Yangon’s public swimming pools were favourite ways to unwind after a long, hot day at the office. But the 27-year-old accountant says that in recent weeks her comfort levels have dropped in public due to fears she could be the next victim of a voyeur with a camera-phone.

“This is obviously an ethical thing which totally depends on the self-denial of the doers,” said U Saing Saw Lin Htun, an engineer with state telecom provider Myanmar Post and Telecommunications.

“Technically, it is almost impossible now to stop people uploading inappropriate material (to the internet) or spreading it by forwarding emails,” said U Saing Saw Lin Htun, who is deputy chief engineer of MPT’s information technology department in Nay Pyi Taw.

The difficulty clamping down on voyeurism in an age of proliferating mobile technology, when almost every new cellphone comes with a camera, provides little comfort for women like Ma Tin Tin Win, who says she is now uncomfortably aware she could be recorded undressing in a pool changing room or trying on clothes in a shop.

“Most of my friends and people surrounding me use mobile phones,” said Ma Tin Tin Win.

“I’m upset that some people don’t show any consideration towards girls. Just imagine how they would feel if their mothers, sisters or loved ones were treated like that,” she said.

Adding to concerns is the inconspicuous way a camera on a phone can be used.

The use of camera-phones for unsavoury deeds is by no means unique to Myanmar, and is far less prevalent here than in countries with higher mobile phone connectivity.

While many public figures accept that sacrificing some privacy comes with the territory, the likelihood of being snapped unawares has increased significantly in recent years as digital technology moves towards the mainstream. And the internet’s uncontrolled nature that has been so applauded is, in this case, also being criticised in Myanmar.

MPT's U Saing Saw Lin Htun noted that foreign websites could not be blocked by the government, thereby placing responsibility on web users not upload or spread “inappropriate” content.

“Most of the websites that allow anonymous uploads are foreign ones. Even most local websites are hosted on foreign servers. We, the officials, can only effectively take action against those local websites hosted on local web servers,” he warned.

U Saing Saw Lin Htun said the government is drafting a new “cyber law” which will outline rules for internet users and punishments for those who “exploit other people’s property and dignity by using information technologies”.

Currently, people can sue violators under defamation laws, U Saing Saw Lin Htun said, adding that civil groups like the Myanmar Women’s Affairs Association are often willing to help victims.

Ko Kaung Myat Paing, a webmaster with Myanmar Infotech Computer Service, which creates web pages and hosts sites, said blame for abuse of information technologies ultimately lies with the user of the technology. But he added that women should realise they need to be more cautious these days.

“Girls should be more restrained with their manners around the clock,” he said.

“Private photos should not be uploaded onto websites and real biographical data should not be provided to social networking sites.

“If you must provide a photo, only photos with low resolution should be used so that they’re not good enough for cropping or changing on Photo Editor (software).”

U Min Sein, a lawyer at the Supreme Court in Yangon, had a warning for those who might think posting naughty photos on the web or taking pictures secretly was a harmless prank.

“Under the criminal section of Act 292, 293, the selling, distributing or publicising of pornographic materials – or provision of them to anyone under 20 years old – is punishable with a prison term of 3-6 months or an order of cash compensation, or both,” U Min Sein told The Myanmar Times.

“Under the anti-human trafficking law enacted in 2005… exploiting someone for the creation of pornography to be shown or to be distributed commercially is punishable by 5-10 years in prison.”

For Ma Tin Tin Win, the best way to protect herself in the cyber age is to keep a low profile.

“I’ve been using the internet for five years since it was first introduced to [the Myanmar public] in 2002.

“I occasionally registered with social networking sites like Friendster, where I uploaded a lot of photos and personal information. Now, I’ve realised that they could be quite harmful and I’ve erased all my photos, profiles and personal information, leaving only an anonymous user,” she said.

“I think the best way to avoid embarrassment is by being anonymous.”

– Additional reporting by Kyaw Soe Linn