Vietnam launched a set of strict cyber-security laws at the start of the year. However, Facebook disregarded the laws imposed by the Southeast Asian nation. As a result, Vietnam wants to bring Facebook under legal scrutiny for violating its laws.
Vietnam News, a state-controlled media platform, recently revealed Facebook’s breach of Vietnamese cyber laws. Facebook witnessed accusations of allowing users to post anti-government and defamatory content. A report published by Vietnam News asserted that the incompliant posts had been flagged to Facebook. Yet, the social media giant delayed the removal of these posts.
Vietnamese Implements Strict Cyber-Security Law to Regulate Content
The Vietnamese cyber law forbids people from organizing anti-state campaigns on the internet. Besides, it also bars people from dispelling false information or undermining the nation’s achievements. The law further requires foreign internet companies to establish an office in Vietnam and locally store user information.
Both Facebook and Google failed to meet the aforementioned law. However, Google is in the process of setting up a local office in Vietnam. Moreover, Vietnamese authorities have accused Facebook of promoting scams and fraudulent products. The social media company witness penalties for their failure in paying local taxes.
Facebook’s Defense On the Accusations
In the face of such accusations, Facebook has revealed its underlying mechanism for reporting illegal content. The company also stated that they have an effective process in place to effectuate local content restrictions. Despite such regulations, as per Vietnamese media, Facebook approved the flagged content according to their incompetent community standards.
