Updated on May 23, 2025, 6:00 p.m.
The Vietnam government has asked telecommunications companies to block the telegram messaging application after the Ministry of Public Security concluded that it was used to broadcast “anti-state” content, state media reported on Friday.
The telecommunications department of the Ministry of Science and Technology made the order on Wednesday. Telecommunications service providers were invited to take action to block the application and report to the ministry by June 2, said the Vietnam news agency.
If nothing changes, Telegram will become the first encrypted messaging application to prohibit Vietnam. Reuters reported that the application was still available inside Vietnam on Friday.
The order came from a document from the Ministry of Public Security which revealed that out of a total of 9,600 telegrams and groups existing in Vietnam, 68% were classified as “bad and toxic”. Among them, many groups and associations “with tens of thousands of participants” had “distributed anti-state content”. He cited fraud, drug trafficking and “affairs suspected of being linked to terrorism” among the illegal activities carried out via the application.
According to the Ministry of Public Security, the groups were created by “opposite and reactionary elements”.
The Communist Government of Vietnam has tightened the online information controls available inside the country. He regularly blocked websites belonging to independent newspapers and foreign media, including the Vietnamese RFA. He also put pressure on Facebook, the most used social network in Vietnam, to increase the censorship of political content.
The telecommunications department provided two legal reasons to justify the new telegram ban.
He cited article 9 of the telecommunications law, which prohibits “take advantage of telecommunications activities to oppose the State” and requires that telecommunications service providers in Vietnam record their operations. According to the telecommunications department, Telegram “failed to comply with the regulations”.
He also cited Decree 147 on Internet and Online Information Services which oblige companies that provide cross -border Internet services to cooperate with the Vietnamese government to remove the information deemed to violate the law.
Telegram expressed his surprise at the official opinion and said he was treating his response.
“”The telegram is surprised by these declarations. We responded to the legal requests of Vietnam in time,“Remi Vaughn of the telegram press team told RFA by e-mail.
“This morning, we received an official opinion from the Communications Authority concerning a standard service notification procedure required under new telecommunications regulations. The deadline for the response is May 27, and we process the request“Said Vaughn.
Edited by Mat Pennington.
Update with Telegram comments.