On June 19, 2024, Legal Initiatives for Vietnam (LIV) launched the first of a three-part online seminar series focused on the current state of internet freedom in Vietnam. The inaugural session featured Trinh Huu Long, editor-in-chief of Luật Khoa Magazine and co-founder of LIV, as the main speaker. He was joined by CL, ETIF Programme Manager, who provided additional insights on the topic.

During the nearly hour-long session, Trinh Huu Long addressed several pressing issues that currently restrict self-expression in Vietnam’s cyberspace. He discussed how certain legal provisions are being weaponized against exercising internet freedom, the forced compliance of social media companies in content takedown requests by the Vietnamese government, and the use of social media platforms to spread government propaganda. Additionally, Long shed light on Vietnam’s deployment of cybersecurity forces, including public opinion shapers, Force 47, and Task Force 35, which are used to harass and disrupt online discourse, as well as the activities of critics and dissenters.