Key Events

• Government Passes New Cyber Decree in Attempt to Further TightenControl over Online Activities
• Hai Duong Police Arrest Members of Spiritual Group on Charges of ‘Illegally Publishing Information on Telecommunications Networks’
• Hanoi Rejects UN Special Rapporteurs’ Report on Government Retaliation Against Human Rights Lawyer Dang Dinh Manh

Government Passes New Cyber Control Decree, Seeks to Insert Further Control over Online Activities

The Vietnamese government has passed cybersecurity decree Decree No. 147/2024 on managing, providing and using the internet and online information. This decree, which replaces Decree 72/2013 on the regulation of online activities, was approved on Nov. 9 and will take effect on Dec. 25, 2024. Decree No. 147/2024 contains several notable provisions on the regulation of cyber activities and the privacy rights of Vietnamese internet users.

Article 23 of this legal document stipulates that cross-border social media platforms, which include Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok, must store users’ personal data, such as names, dates of birth, and phone numbers, if they register their accounts from Vietnam. This article also mandates that social network companies must sign cooperation agreements with state-run news agencies when they provide information extracted from any Vietnamese media on their platforms.