Myanmar government dismisses e-ID surveillance rumours, says system aims for secure digital identification

YANGON: The Ministry of Immigration and Population has dismissed claims that Myanmar’s e-ID system is intended to monitor or spy on citizens, calling such reports unfounded rumors spread on social media.

In a recent statement, the ministry clarified that the e-ID system is not designed for surveillance, but rather to serve as a secure digital platform for verifying individuals’ identities. The system aims to accurately manage personal information and confirm citizens’ identities for official use.

The e-ID will be a digital identity containing both demographic data (such as name, date of birth, gender, parents’ names) and biometric information (including fingerprints from all ten fingers, facial data and iris scans). Each person will receive a unique 10-digit identification number, which will be valid for their lifetime.