Fb violated powerful new cybersecurity law

Again in June, when Vietnam handed a brand new cybersecurity legislation giving its authorities sweeping powers to observe on-line exercise, Amnesty Worldwide known as it a “devastating blow for freedom of expression,” leaving “no safe place for people to speak freely” in Vietnam:

The legislation would give sweeping new powers to the Vietnamese authorities, permitting them to pressure expertise firms handy over probably huge quantities of knowledge, together with private data, and to censor customers’ posts.

On the similar time, web giants equivalent to Google, Fb and Twitter warned that provisions for information localization, controls on content material that have an effect on free speech, and native workplace necessities would hurt the nation’s financial improvement.

The draconian legislation took impact on the primary day of the brand new 12 months, and fewer than 10 days later, the federal government started flexing its new authorized muscle. On Tuesday, Vietnam threatened Fb, claiming that it’s violated the brand new legislation by not eradicating what it says is anti-government content material.

In line with a report revealed on Wednesday by state-controlled media Vietnam Information, the Ministry of Data and Communications (MIC) on Tuesday held a press convention wherein it accused Fb of permitting private accounts to put up “slanderous content, anti-government sentiment and libel and defamation of individuals, organisations and State agencies.”

From the report:

Fb had not reportedly responded to a request to take away fanpages frightening actions in opposition to the State on the request of authorities.

Vietnam Information quoted the MIC as saying that the content material had been discovered to “seriously violate Vietnam’s Law on cybersecurity and government regulations on the management, provision and use of internet services.”