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Vietnam is set to implement strict new internet regulations on Christmas Day. The controversial decree — Decree 147 — will mandate identity verification for social media users and impose stringent data storage and content removal requirements on tech companies. Human rights advocates have criticised it as another step toward suppressing dissent in the one-party state.

The decree demands that tech companies operating in Vietnam, including giants like Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, verify users’ identities through phone or national identification numbers. Additionally, companies are required to:

Store user data, including full names and dates of birth.
Provide this data to authorities upon request.
Remove content deemed ‘illegal’ by the government within 24 hours.

Furthermore, only verified accounts will be permitted to livestream, which could significantly impact Vietnam’s burgeoning social commerce sector. Apart from social media companies, the decree also restricts gaming companies.

Game publishers will have to deploy a time limit of an hour per game session and enforce a maximum of not more than 180 minutes a day for all games.

What all data does your browser collect about you? Here are 7 types — *As of now, social media giants have not commented on the Vietnam Decree 147. However, they will have to alter their algorithms when the Decree is enforced significantly.*

Critics argue that the new regulations mirror China’s internet censorship model, tightening the government’s grip on online discourse. Vietnam’s Communist Party has a history of swiftly quashing dissent, particularly on social media, where many critics have found a platform to voice their opposition.

“Vietnam’s new Decree 147 and its other cybersecurity laws neither protect the public from any genuine security concerns nor respect fundamental human rights,” said Patricia Gossman, associate Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

Vietnamese authorities have defended Decree 147 as necessary to “maintain social order, national security, and national sovereignty in cyberspace.” Le Quang Tu Do of the Ministry of Information and Communications emphasised the importance of regulating online behaviour to safeguard the country’s interests, reports The Guardian.

Vietnam’s massive social media user base — 64 million Facebook users, 60 million on YouTube, and 20 million on TikTok — places significant pressure on tech companies to comply. As of now, none of the major platforms, including Meta, Google, or ByteDance, have commented on the new regulations.

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