Authorities said 70 percent of Telegram channels are linked to illegal content

Originally published on Global Voices

A smartphone user scans for apps in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The Vietnamese government has said it has banned the messaging app Telegram because of its non-compliance with local rules, while human rights groups have warned that it could further restrict the flow of information in the country.

On May 21, the Ministry of Information and Communications' Department of Telecommunications issued an order directing local internet providers to ban Telegram because of its role in the spread of illicit online activities.

It cited that 68 percent of the 9,600 Telegram channels and groups in Vietnam are linked to "fraud, drug trafficking, terrorism, and the dissemination of anti-government materials." It added that groups with tens of thousands of participants "were created by opposition and reactionary subjects spreading anti-government documents."

In 2024, there were 11.8 million Vietnamese users of Telegram. The ban took effect on June 2.

In an interview with Reuters, Telegram said it was "surprised" by the accusations of the Vietnamese government. "We have responded to legal requests from Vietnam on time."

In a commentary published on The Diplomat online magazine, policy analyst Vu Lam pointed out that Telegram has also encountered legal controversies in other countries but noted that Vietnam issued the ban without due process.

Hanoi has enacted a sweeping pre-emptive ban without due process, judicial oversight, or independent review. Furthermore, the Vietnamese government has been evasive about whether it communicated with Telegram before taking action.

Vu Lam said the ban affirms that "information control remains the core concern of the Vietnamese party-state" amid the ongoing transition in the party leadership and anti-corruption investigations.

In the current context, banning Telegram may be partly aimed at stifling dissent ahead of key political milestones, including potential leadership transitions and party congress preparations.

The Vietnamese published a briefing about the implications of the Telegram ban.

This move aligns with Việt Nam's broader efforts to tighten control over digital platforms. New regulations enacted last year require social media companies to verify user identities and provide data to authorities, a policy that has drawn criticism from free speech advocates.

It referred to the passage of cybersecurity laws in 2018 and internet-related decrees in 2024, which empowered authorities to regulate online content and required tech platforms to register and cooperate with local authorities.

Radio Free Asia, which receives funding from the United States government, summed up the state of digital freedom in Vietnam.

Vietnam's communist government has tightened controls on online information available inside the country. It has regularly blocked websites belonging to independent newspapers and foreign news outlets, including RFA Vietnamese.

Human rights group Forum Asia has criticized the Telegram ban and challenged tech platforms to uphold the rights of their users.

Although social media platforms once enabled freedom of expression in Vietnam, the government now treats online communications as a threat. Tech companies, through compliance or silence, have become complicit in this growing censorship.

Technology companies must stop enabling authoritarian regimes that aim to suppress freedom of expression and put its citizens under online surveillance. These companies should resist government pressure to censor political expression and silence dissent.

The Telegram ban has reportedly garnered mixed responses from young internet users. Some have linked the proliferation of scams with the use of Telegram, some have expressed dismay about the disruption that the ban will cause, while many have scrambled to find alternative messaging platforms.