Latest news with #MinistryofInformationandCommunications
The Star
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Vietnam takes steps to block Telegram over illegal content
A man uses the messaging app Telegram in Hanoi on May 23, 2025. The majority of Telegram groups in Vietnam contain what the regulator called "toxic' information, including groups accused of spreading anti-government content and crimes such as fraud, selling user data and drug trafficking, according to a statement on the government's website, citing public security ministry data. — AFP Vietnam authorities have instructed local telecoms and Internet service providers to block the Telegram messaging app in the country for allegedly failing to prevent illegal content and anti-government activities being carried out by its users. The majority of Telegram groups in Vietnam contain what the regulator called "toxic' information, including groups accused of spreading anti-government content and crimes such as fraud, selling user data and drug trafficking, according to a statement on the government's website, citing public security ministry data. Telegram must comply with Vietnamese regulations including monitoring, removing and preventing content violating the law as requested by the authority, the statement said. The messaging app is also accused of failing to register its telecommunication services business with the Vietnamese authorities as required by law, according to the statement. "Telegram is surprised by these statements,' Telegram spokesperson Devon Spurgeon said. "We received a formal notice from the Authority of Communications regarding a standard service notification procedure required under new telecoms regulations. The deadline for the response is May 27,' she added. Vietnam's technology ministry and telecoms authority did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Last year, Vietnam ordered foreign social media platforms to verify the accounts of users and provide their identifies to authorities on demand, a move to tighten the Communist government's control of social networks. Unlike China, people in Vietnam have access to the world's most popular social platforms. Vietnam's one-party government, though, jails citizens who disseminate what is viewed as anti-state or anti-party content. The former Ministry of Information and Communications had been pushing for more measures to tighten restrictions on what it considers toxic and anti-state information spreading on social media. – Bloomberg
Time of India
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Vietnam orders messaging app Telegram to be blocked, government document shows
HighlightsVietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications has ordered telecommunication service providers to block the messaging application Telegram due to its non-compliance in addressing crimes committed by its users. A government document revealed that 68% of the 9,600 Telegram channels and groups in Vietnam have been reported for illegal activities, including fraud, drug trafficking, and potential terrorism-related cases. The Vietnamese authorities have expressed concerns over Telegram's failure to share user data during criminal investigations, prompting the ministry to seek measures to prevent its activities in the country. Vietnam's technology ministry has instructed telecommunication service providers to block the messaging app Telegram for not cooperating in combating alleged crimes committed by its users, according to a government document reviewed by Reuters. The document, dated May 21 and signed by the deputy head of the telecom department at the technology ministry, ordered telecommunication companies to take measures to block Telegram and report on them to the ministry by June 2. The ministry asked telecommunication service providers "to deploy solutions and measures to prevent Telegram's activities in Vietnam". The document said the ministry was acting on behalf of the country's cyber-security department after police reported that 68% of the 9,600 Telegram channels and groups in the country violated the law, citing fraud, drug trafficking and "cases suspected of being related to terrorism" among the illegal activities carried out through the app. A technology ministry official confirmed to Reuters the authenticity of the document, noting the move follows Telegram's failure to share user data with the government when asked as part of criminal investigations. Telegram and Vietnam's technology ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment. The Vietnamese police and state news outlets have repeatedly warned people of possible crime, frauds and data breaches on Telegram channels and groups. Telegram, which competes globally with other social media apps such as Facebook's WhatsApp and WeChat, was still available in Vietnam on Friday. Vietnam's ruling Communist Party maintains tight media censorship and tolerates little dissent. The country has repeatedly asked companies like Facebook, Google's YouTube and TikTok to coordinate with authorities to stamp out content deemed "toxic", including offensive, false and anti-state content. Telegram is accused of not applying laws that require social media to monitor, remove and block information that violate the law, according to the document. Also, the document said that according to information from the police, "many groups with tens of thousands of participants were created by opposition and reactionary subjects spreading anti-government documents". The free-to-use platform with close to one billion users worldwide has been involved in controversies across the world on security and data breach concerns, including in France where its founder Pavel Durov was briefly detained last year. France's President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit Vietnam from Sunday.
See - Sada Elbalad
23-05-2025
- Business
- See - Sada Elbalad
Vietnam Orders Ban on Telegram Over Crime, Non-Compliance
Israa Farhan Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications has issued an official order to block the messaging app Telegram, citing the platform's failure to cooperate with local authorities in criminal investigations and rising concerns over illegal activity facilitated by its users. According to a government document dated May 21 and signed by the deputy director of the Telecommunications Department, telecom service providers in Vietnam have been instructed to implement technical measures to restrict access to Telegram. Providers must report back to the ministry with details of their compliance by June 2. The directive follows a warning from the country's Cybersecurity Department, which revealed that police investigations had flagged 68 percent of Vietnam's 9,600 Telegram channels and groups for legal violations. The alleged offenses include fraud, drug trafficking, and activities suspected of being linked to terrorism. The ministry accused Telegram of refusing to share user data with Vietnamese authorities, despite formal requests during criminal investigations. A government official confirmed to Reuters the authenticity of the document and described the decision as a response to the platform's continued non-compliance with national security efforts. Telegram, a global messaging service often touted for its privacy protections and encryption, has not yet issued a public response. The Ministry of Information and Communications also declined further comment when approached. As of Friday, Telegram remained accessible in Vietnam, though the order signals imminent restrictions that may impact millions of users across the country. Telegram continues to compete internationally with platforms like Meta-owned WhatsApp and China's WeChat, both of which operate under stricter content and data-sharing regulations in several countries. read more Gold prices rise, 21 Karat at EGP 3685 NATO's Role in Israeli-Palestinian Conflict US Expresses 'Strong Opposition' to New Turkish Military Operation in Syria Shoukry Meets Director-General of FAO Lavrov: confrontation bet. nuclear powers must be avoided News Iran Summons French Ambassador over Foreign Minister Remarks News Aboul Gheit Condemns Israeli Escalation in West Bank News Greek PM: Athens Plays Key Role in Improving Energy Security in Region News One Person Injured in Explosion at Ukrainian Embassy in Madrid News Egypt confirms denial of airspace access to US B-52 bombers News Ayat Khaddoura's Final Video Captures Bombardment of Beit Lahia News Australia Fines Telegram $600,000 Over Terrorism, Child Abuse Content Arts & Culture Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban's $4.7M LA Home Burglarized Sports Former Al Zamalek Player Ibrahim Shika Passes away after Long Battle with Cancer Sports Neymar Announced for Brazil's Preliminary List for 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers News Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly Inaugurates Two Indian Companies Arts & Culture New Archaeological Discovery from 26th Dynasty Uncovered in Karnak Temple Business Fear & Greed Index Plummets to Lowest Level Ever Recorded amid Global Trade War Arts & Culture Zahi Hawass: Claims of Columns Beneath the Pyramid of Khafre Are Lies
