Vietnam is set to implement a new internet law on December 25 that will require social media users to verify their identities. The law, known as Decree 147, has raised concerns among critics who fear it will undermine free speech and expose anonymous dissidents. Under the new regulations, social media users on platforms such as Facebook and TikTok will need to provide their phone numbers or Vietnamese identification numbers to verify their accounts.
Tech companies operating in Vietnam will be required to store user data, provide it to authorities upon request, and remove content the government deems “illegal” within 24 hours. Decree 147 builds upon a 2018 cybersecurity law that was heavily criticized by the US, EU, and internet freedom advocates for mimicking China’s repressive internet censorship. Vietnam’s government is known for swiftly stamping out dissent and arresting critics, particularly those who gain a following on social media.
Blogger Nguyen Hoang Vi, based in Ho Chi Minh City, told AFP that the new decree “may encourage self-censorship, where people avoid expressing dissenting views to protect their safety – ultimately harming the overall development of democratic values” in Vietnam.
Le Quang Tu Do, a representative from the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), stated that Decree 147 would “regulate behaviour in order to maintain social order, national security, and national sovereignty in cyberspace.”
In addition to the implications for social media companies, the new law also includes restrictions on gaming for those under 18 to prevent addiction.
Game publishers will be expected to enforce a one-hour time limit per gaming session and a maximum of 180 minutes per day for all games. According to the MIC, Vietnam has approximately 65 million Facebook users, 60 million YouTube users, and 20 million TikTok users. Under the new law, these tech giants, along with all “foreign organizations, enterprises and individuals,” must verify users’ accounts and store their information alongside their full name and date of birth.
This information must be provided to the MIC or the Ministry of Public Security upon demand. Human Rights Watch has called on the Vietnamese government to repeal the “draconian” new decree. Patricia Gossman, HRW’s associate Asia director, stated, “Vietnam’s new Decree 147 and its other cybersecurity laws neither protect the public from any genuine security concerns nor respect fundamental human rights.
Because the Vietnamese police treat any criticism of the Communist Party of Vietnam as a national security matter, this decree will provide them with yet another tool to suppress dissent.”
