Vietnam’s strict new social media regulations strangle free speech, report says

New government regulations on social media in Vietnam give authorities increased powers to prevent dissent and control the news, along with the tools to more easily track down critics and silence them, according to an analysis released Tuesday.

Vietnam’s authorities implemented “Decree 147” in December, tightening regulations on social media companies like Facebook, X, YouTube and TikTok in a bid to further stifle criticism, said Ben Swanton, one of the authors of the report by The 88 Project, a group focused on human rights and free speech issues in Vietnam.

“Any challenge to the government and the Communist Party, any significant challenge to their official narrative of events, is perceived by them as a situation that is getting out of control,” he said in an interview from Thailand.

Among other things, the decree requires users to verify their accounts with phone numbers or national ID cards that must be provided to the government upon request, and for the social media companies to store their data in Vietnam.

It also prevents social media users from engaging in citizen journalism or posting information about suspected government wrongdoing, and requires companies to remove posts deemed illegal within 24 hours. The decree requires companies to allow authorities access to their internal search engines so that it can identify offending content.

Social media companies have until late March to be in compliance, and it is not yet clear whether they will try to push back. TikTok and Facebook refused to comment on their plans, while X and Google, which owns YouTube, did not return emails.

Already, however, researchers have noticed a decline in political posts, Swanton said.

“In the last several years Hanoi has imprisoned or forced into exile the country’s most prominent independent journalists, reformers, human rights activists, and dissidents. This has had a chilling effect that encourages people to engage in self-censorship,” he said. “Decree 147 is designed to turn this chilling effect into an icy stranglehold on free speech.”

Vietnamese authorities did not respond to a request for comment on the Project 88 analysis or the intent behind the new decree.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/vietnam-social-media-restrictions-f1c421efb3e10e6cfb433c01e88a8eda

Comprehension

What is “Decree 147,” and when was it implemented in Vietnam?
How does the decree affect social media companies like Facebook, X, YouTube, and TikTok?
What are some of the new requirements for social media users under this regulation?
How soon must social media companies comply with the new regulations?
What consequences might social media users face if they post government criticism?
What impact has the Vietnamese government already had on independent journalists and activists?
What has been the reaction of major social media companies to the new law?

Discussion

Do you think governments should regulate social media? Why or why not?
How might social media regulations affect freedom of speech in Vietnam?
What are some potential benefits and dangers of requiring users to verify their identity online?
Have you ever seen examples of government censorship on social media? How did people react?
How do you think social media companies should respond to these types of regulations?
Do you believe governments have a responsibility to control misinformation, or should people be free to post whatever they want?
In your country, are there any restrictions on social media use? Do you think they are fair?
What are some ways people can safely express their opinions in places where free speech is limited?

Vocabulary

Decree – An official order issued by a government.
Dissent – Disagreement with or opposition to an authority.
Narrative – A particular perspective or interpretation of events.
Self-censorship – Choosing to restrict one’s own speech due to fear of consequences.
Citizen journalism – Reporting news and sharing information by ordinary individuals instead of professional journalists.
Exile – Being forced to leave one’s home country.
Censorship – The suppression or restriction of speech, media, or information.
Compliance – Following or obeying a rule or regulation.