Monday, 12 September 2011 18:21 Tun Tun
“To create new Gmail account---9,000 kyat, to enhance Gmail account’s storage from 7 G byte to 27 G byte…9,000 kyat…We provide special service for those who want to verify Gmail account or who want to access Gmail account when the accounts are locked.”
The above-mentioned advertisement in a Rangoon-based weekly IT journal may make people who can use Gmail account for free surprised.
“9,000 kyat, brother. Our friends living in foreign countries do on behalf of us. We set the price for the account,” said an official from the service company.
Until six months ago, anyone could create Gmail accounts for free. But more recently, anybody creating a Gmail account needs to verify by filling in a verification code sent via SMS, and that is some service companies are charging to help user obtain an account.
When a person creates a Gmail account or wants to access an old Gmail account that is locked, Gmail sends a verification code to the person’s mobile phone.
The verification code will be sent via SMS or voice. Without a verification code, the person cannot access the account.
The system is convenient in other countries. In Burma, even though the person has a mobile phone, Gmail system just notifies, “Sorry, the selected country is not supported for verification.” That’s why people living in Burma have difficulties to create new Gmail accounts.
Moreover, Gmail has asked for the phone number for old accounts for email security since September last year, according to Internet users in Rangoon.
“Earlier, Gmail didn’t ask our phone number. Later, it asked for the phone number when we created Gmail accounts to send a verification code,” an Internet user in Rangoon said.
It is not convenient in Burma not only because of Gmail’s verification system but also because of the SMS system of mobile phones in Burma, according to Internet users.
“The main problem is mobile phones in Burma cannot receive SMS sent from foreign countries. So, when we want to verify [Gmail], we have to rely on SIM cards of a foreign country [telephones of people living in foreign countries],” an official of a service provider said.
So, some Internet cafes in Rangoon provide those services; some shops charge 3,000 kyat for opening new Gmail account and 8,000 kyat for accessing old accounts.
“There is Internet shop in my street. 500 kyat for the service,” said Nanda, living in Thaketa Township in Rangoon. The amount charged is different and depend on the cyber cafes.”
Despite other free email accounts, Gmail is widely used by Burmese people because it is easy to use; can use Burmese font in Gmail, and it supports voice chat and video chat.
Moreover, there are many applications for Burmese people to be attached in Gtalk software by adding the Gmail address of special software such as English/Burmese dictionary, Pali dictionary and so on.
There are an estimated 500,000 Internet users in Burma and there are 802 official Internet shops in Burma, according to the figure compiled in February 2011 by Myanmar Info Tech.
Because of the new verification system, the people whose accounts were being locked encounter many problems because they cannot access their Gmail accounts and lost contacts.
Min Min, an Internet user living in Burma, used Gmail account with his name for 10 years. Now his account has been locked and to access the account, he needs to fill in a verification code. So, he has to use other email accounts.
On the other hand, students studying Internet security have warned that some service providers are not reliable and they broke into their customers’ accounts.
“The service providers open new Gmail accounts. Then they can hack the accounts. After six months or a year after the account has opened, they can get a new password via the phone number used in creating the relevant account by saying that they forgot the old password. In that way, many Gmail accounts of Internet users in Burma have been hacked. If so, their personal and private information will be revealed,” Maung Maung, who is studying Internet security, said.
Despite the weak points of the services and private information in Gmail accounts, many people have to rely on the services. People who don’t want to rely on those services ask for help from their friends living in foreign countries.
“To create new Gmail account---9,000 kyat, to enhance Gmail account’s storage from 7 G byte to 27 G byte…9,000 kyat…We provide special service for those who want to verify Gmail account or who want to access Gmail account when the accounts are locked.”
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| Burmese Internet shops are selling special services to connect to free Gmail accounts inside the country because of new verification procedures by the company and other issues unique to Burma. Photo: Mizzima |
The above-mentioned advertisement in a Rangoon-based weekly IT journal may make people who can use Gmail account for free surprised.
“9,000 kyat, brother. Our friends living in foreign countries do on behalf of us. We set the price for the account,” said an official from the service company.
Until six months ago, anyone could create Gmail accounts for free. But more recently, anybody creating a Gmail account needs to verify by filling in a verification code sent via SMS, and that is some service companies are charging to help user obtain an account.
When a person creates a Gmail account or wants to access an old Gmail account that is locked, Gmail sends a verification code to the person’s mobile phone.
The verification code will be sent via SMS or voice. Without a verification code, the person cannot access the account.
The system is convenient in other countries. In Burma, even though the person has a mobile phone, Gmail system just notifies, “Sorry, the selected country is not supported for verification.” That’s why people living in Burma have difficulties to create new Gmail accounts.
Moreover, Gmail has asked for the phone number for old accounts for email security since September last year, according to Internet users in Rangoon.
“Earlier, Gmail didn’t ask our phone number. Later, it asked for the phone number when we created Gmail accounts to send a verification code,” an Internet user in Rangoon said.
It is not convenient in Burma not only because of Gmail’s verification system but also because of the SMS system of mobile phones in Burma, according to Internet users.
“The main problem is mobile phones in Burma cannot receive SMS sent from foreign countries. So, when we want to verify [Gmail], we have to rely on SIM cards of a foreign country [telephones of people living in foreign countries],” an official of a service provider said.
So, some Internet cafes in Rangoon provide those services; some shops charge 3,000 kyat for opening new Gmail account and 8,000 kyat for accessing old accounts.
“There is Internet shop in my street. 500 kyat for the service,” said Nanda, living in Thaketa Township in Rangoon. The amount charged is different and depend on the cyber cafes.”
Despite other free email accounts, Gmail is widely used by Burmese people because it is easy to use; can use Burmese font in Gmail, and it supports voice chat and video chat.
Moreover, there are many applications for Burmese people to be attached in Gtalk software by adding the Gmail address of special software such as English/Burmese dictionary, Pali dictionary and so on.
There are an estimated 500,000 Internet users in Burma and there are 802 official Internet shops in Burma, according to the figure compiled in February 2011 by Myanmar Info Tech.
Because of the new verification system, the people whose accounts were being locked encounter many problems because they cannot access their Gmail accounts and lost contacts.
Min Min, an Internet user living in Burma, used Gmail account with his name for 10 years. Now his account has been locked and to access the account, he needs to fill in a verification code. So, he has to use other email accounts.
On the other hand, students studying Internet security have warned that some service providers are not reliable and they broke into their customers’ accounts.
“The service providers open new Gmail accounts. Then they can hack the accounts. After six months or a year after the account has opened, they can get a new password via the phone number used in creating the relevant account by saying that they forgot the old password. In that way, many Gmail accounts of Internet users in Burma have been hacked. If so, their personal and private information will be revealed,” Maung Maung, who is studying Internet security, said.
Despite the weak points of the services and private information in Gmail accounts, many people have to rely on the services. People who don’t want to rely on those services ask for help from their friends living in foreign countries.
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