Vietnam to ban discussion of news on social media sites
Baku, September 4 (AZERTAC). Vietnam is set to ban the discussion of politics, news and anything else that doesn't fall under the narrow definition of "personal information" on social media.
The new law, known as Decree 72, will make it a crime to use social media for anything other than to "provide or exchange personal information" and is expected to come into force in September.
"Individuals should not quote or share information from press agencies or websites of government agencies," the head of Vietnam's Broadcast and Electronic Information Department was reported to have said by AFP.
Additionally, Decree 72 targets Internet Service Providers, banning them from serving "information that is against Vietnam".
Decree 72 will help internet users "find correct and clean information on the internet," claimed Vietnam's Deputy Minister of Information and Communications, Le Nam Thang.
Internet companies including Facebook, Google, Yahoo! Inc and eBay have criticised the new law, with the Asia Internet Coalition -- an industry association formed by those companies -- saying it is "disappointed" that the Vietnamese government has taken a "restrictive approach towards the management of the internet".
The US State Department also criticised the Vietnamese government, putting out a statement calling on them "to respect the right to freedom of expression" and reminding them that "fundamental freedoms apply online just as they do offline".
Vietnam has a rather poor record when it comes to freedom of expression online and offline. Reporters Without Borders ranks the country 172 out of 179 in their press freedom index, ahead of only China, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Turkmenistan, North Korea and Eritrea when it comes to respecting press freedoms."If it takes effect, Vietnamese will be permanently deprived of the independent and outspoken information that normally circulates in blogs and forums," said a RWB statement on Decree 72. "Its implementation will require massive and constant government surveillance of the entire internet, an almost impossible challenge".
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