Việt Nam Police on Social Media: When Official Humor Goes Too Far

To preserve its image, Việt Nam’s police force was long associated with a serious demeanor and little public display of humor. However, the institution has recently shifted its communication style by creating or “following trends” to produce humorous social media content. 

While this approach has successfully attracted attention and won support from a large segment of young people, it comes with a cost. As this form of communication grows more popular, the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) appears to be drifting away from its traditional image, and the “jokes” are becoming increasingly controversial.

The “Playful Generation” Joins the Police

The phrase “thế hệ cợt nhả” (the “playful generation”) describes the relaxed, cheerful lifestyle and working style typical of Generation Z (Gen Z), a demographic that is highly active on social media. 

In their public messaging efforts, the social media accounts of the government and the MPS have adopted an approach closely aligned with this group’s preferences. Journalist Lương Nguyễn An Điền analyzed this phenomenon in detail in an article for Fulcrum. [1]

According to An Điền, the Facebook page “Phòng, chống ma túy – Công an TP. Hồ Chí Minh” (Drug Prevention and Control – Hồ Chí Minh City Police) was a pioneering example. On Oct. 5, 2025, the page unexpectedly shifted to a humorous, joking, and content-driven style. [2]

This new communication strategy quickly proved effective. It attracted large numbers of viewers who actively engaged in the comments section, with many expressing support for the posted content. 

Recognizing the success of this strategy, social media accounts operated by agencies under the MPS have continuously published humorous material tailored to young people since October 2025. [3]

Crossing the Line

This brand of humor has successfully reshaped the digital image of government accounts. However, some police-run pages appear to have gone too far in their pursuit of virality.

In April 2026, a major controversy erupted when the Facebook pages of Ô Chợ Dừa Ward Police and Ba Ngòi Ward Police responded to citizens’ comments by jokingly threatening administrative penalties and publicly revealing personal information. [4] While some users found the exchanges entertaining, others condemned the public disclosure of citizen data by a government agency as uncivilized and inappropriate. [5]

Similar debates arose regarding Hồ Chí Minh City Police, who utilized jokes and suspenseful language to detail anti-drug enforcement operations. [6] Although these posts garnered significant attention, critics argued they fundamentally disrespected the dignity of the individuals involved.

Yet, despite the controversy, these incidents remained tethered to standard law enforcement activities. Things entered an entirely different territory when Huế City Police decided to leverage humor for a significantly more sensitive topic.

Central Policy Versus Local Practice

On June 3, the Facebook page of Huế City Police posted a video regarding 45 individuals summoned for questioning over their social media interactions with supposedly reactionary pages. [7] 

Amidst debates concerning freedom of expression, the video’s comment section featured mocking remarks. 

One user wrote: “The officers have not tried the sport of teasing 3/ yet. It is even more fun than teasing dogs.” 

The Huế City Police account replied: “The admin cannot do it, but the officers still play that sport.”

The phrase “3/” is a derogatory term utilized by some social media users to describe people associated with the former Republic of Việt Nam, referencing the three red stripes on the pre-1975 flag. While an ordinary social media reply might seem like a mere joke, such language becomes deeply noteworthy when a government agency issues it.

In recent years, senior central leaders have considerably softened their language regarding the Republic of Vietnam. Since former Minister of Public Security Tô Lâm became General Secretary in 2024, his official speeches have noticeably avoided divisive terms like “ngụy quân” (puppet army) and “ngụy quyền” (puppet government), which dominated earlier official discourse to describe the former Republic of Vietnam.

During his first April 30 commemorative speech as General Secretary, Tô Lâm employed language emphasizing reconciliation and national unity, even referring to pre-1975 Sài Gòn as the “Pearl of the Far East.” [8] 

Ironically, while these confrontational phrases are gradually disappearing from the official speeches of Việt Nam’s top leaders, they are finding new life as social media punchlines delivered by the government’s own digital accounts.

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Government agencies cannot easily ignore the limits of humor, primarily because they do not operate ordinary social media accounts. Their online conduct shapes public perception of the institutions they represent. 

The success of humorous content has undeniably helped the MPS build a new digital image and attract younger demographics to official messaging, though it comes with a noticeable drawback. 

This very success appears to have led some of the ministry’s platforms increasingly away from the traditional role expected of a public authority.

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Thúc Kháng wrote this article in Vietnamese and published it in Luật Khoa Magazine on June 9, 2026. Đàm Vĩnh Hằng translated it into English for The Vietnamese Magazine.