This contribution aims to examine the critical issues related to the export of
cybersurveillance technologies by some European Union companies to Myanmar, a country with a history of instability and geopolitical tensions that have been exacerbated since the military coup of 2021. NGOs operating in the country, in addition to humanitarian and development assistance, play a crucial role in the evolution of civil society and, also thanks to some of them, it has been possible to uncover some irregularities in the export of dual-use goods that may cause social impacts and infringe on the freedoms of Burmese civil society.
Through a qualitative analysis of the literature, the main EU regulations and related NGOs
documents, the research uncovered some regulatory loopholes that allowed such exports while
examining the practices of some European companies in Burma. The work carried out confirmed the need for stricter regulation: in this sense, the European
Commission's recent Delegated Regulation 2023/66 aims to ensure more effective control over this type of export by preventing the misuse of surveillance technology and promoting greater
accountability of companies operating in authoritarian contexts.
Keywords: civil society, social impacts, NGOs, dual use goods, mass surveillance.