Thursday, January 3, 2019

Vietnam criticised for 'totalitarian' law banning online criticism of government

Via Billy

High school students play online games at a shop in Hanoi.

Law forces internet providers to censor content deemed ‘toxic’ by the ruling communist government and hand over user data


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

5 comments:

  1. Oh, 1984 in Vietnam too, hu. The gov is fair game - they do it
    to themselves by delusional fantasy they are necessary - they are
    not - they are a nuisance.

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  2. ya know what was the downfall of eastern european warsaw pact and soviet union was? Copiers. it was before internet. it's how information moved around with out censorship behind the curtain. no one behind the curtain believed the glowing tripe in the news organs. the people knew it was bull crap. the guy in the street was never impressed by the success's of the latest five year plans. they could see the empty shop shelves and hungry people around them. but the xeroxed paper with infor that was disdainful of government promises that Oh just wait till next year! they knew the sheets were different. they saw the sheets reflected their reality. and the knowledge that they were reading facts instead of wishful prose got the high and mighty shut down for just a little while.
    internet is the new copier. some people are smart. they will find a way to know what is happening. for those not smart enough? the desert sands cover a lot and the oceans are deep and fish are hungry...

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    Replies
    1. :) I seem to remember something about that. Thanks.

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