Vietnam imposes harsh regulations to control social media speech

In December 2023, Vietnam's government enacted Decree 147, enhancing their control over social media platforms such as Facebook, X, YouTube, and TikTok. This decree imposes stricter regulations that require users to verify their accounts using phone numbers or national ID cards, which must be made available to the government on request. Additionally, social media companies are mandated to store user data within Vietnam's borders. The regulations prohibit users from engaging in citizen journalism, which keeps citizens from posting about government misconduct. Companies are also required to eliminate contentious posts within 24 hours of being flagged as illegal. The decree grants authorities unprecedented access to internal search functions of these social media companies, facilitating the identification and censorship of what the government deems offending content. Experts have noted a notable decline in political posts and a chilling effect on free speech, driven by fears of imprisonment or persecution among those expressing dissent. In recent years, the Vietnamese government has imprisoned or exiled notable journalists, reformers, and activists, further catalyzing self-censorship among the populace. Pervasive monitoring tactics have been deployed by the government, as evidenced by a police crackdown in June 2023, where authorities examined the profiles of over 13,000 Facebook group members associated with anti-state sentiments. Authorities subsequently identified 20 individuals for harassment and pushed for them to exit the group. The environment for free expression continues to dwindle, bolstered by a government historically quick to censor dissent, evidenced by incidents like the 2021 geo-blocking of critical posts from outside the country regarding leaders' extravagant behavior during the pandemic lockdowns. With about 65 million Facebook users and 35 million YouTube users in Vietnam, approximately half of the population relies heavily on social media for news. The government's rigorous policy of ensuring compliance among major companies poses potential challenges to free expression rights, urging activist organizations, like The 88 Project, to stand against the decree and press for its repeal. The analysis by The 88 Project emphasizes the far-reaching implications of Decree 147 and calls for international pressure to facilitate change, as a growing number of citizens feel the sting of an increasingly oppressive regime.