Vietnam criticised for 'totalitarian' law banning online criticism of government
Vietnam criticised for 'totalitarian' law banning online
criticism of government
Law forces internet providers to censor content deemed ‘toxic’
by the ruling communist government and hand over user data
By Jamie Fullerton Wed 2 Jan 2019 00.21 EST
Vietnam has introduced a new cybersecurity law, which
criminalises criticising the government online and forces internet providers to
give authorities’ user data when requested, sparking claims of a “totalitarian”
crackdown on dissent.
The law, which mirrors China’s draconian internet rules,
came into effect on 1 January and forces internet providers to censor content
deemed “toxic” by the ruling communist government. Vietnam’s ministry of public
security said it will tackle “hostile and reactionary forces”, but human rights
groups said it was authorities’ latest method of silencing free speech.
The Vietnam government has intensified a crackdown on
criticism since 2016, jailing dozens of dissidents. Spreading information
deemed to be anti-government or anti-state online is now illegal in the
country, as is using the internet to “post false information that could cause
confusion and damage to socio-economic activities”.
Last week, the country’s Association of Journalists
published a code of conduct banning reporters from posting information that
could “run counter” to the state on social media. Daniel Bastard of Reporters
Without Borders called the measures “a totalitarian model of information
control”.
The government has asked Facebook and Google to open
offices in Vietnam, and to agree to comply with the new censorship and user
data rules. Hanoi claimed that Google has put steps in place to open a base in
the country, although the search engine has not confirmed this. In response to
the new law, Facebook said it would protect users’ rights and safety.
Phil Robertson, Human Rights Watch’s deputy Asia
director, said the legislation was “the legal equivalent of a hammer to bash
online critics, with overly broad provisions that can be easily used to
classify almost any critical comment as criminal.”
He told the Guardian: “While it’s likely that activists
who have previously spoken up against government abuses will be targeted first,
the government’s longer-term plan is to bring the internet under the same
draconian controls that affect print media, TV and radio. The government’s new
year gift to its citizens is intensified fear about what they can say online,
and uncertainty about what issues and statements will trigger arrests and
prosecution.”
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