The technology ministry has ordered telecommunication service providers to block messaging app Telegram for not cooperating in combating alleged crimes committed by its users, in a move that Telegram said was surprising.
In a document, dated May 21 and signed by the deputy head of the telecom department at the technology ministry, telecommunication companies were ordered to take measures to block Telegram and report on them to the ministry by June 2.
The ministry was acting on behalf of the country’s cybersecurity department after police reported that 68% of the 9,600 Telegram channels and groups in Vietnam violated the law, citing fraud, drug trafficking and “cases suspected of being related to terrorism” among the illegal activities carried out through the app.
“Telegram is surprised by those statements,” a company representative told Reuters on Friday.
“We have responded to legal requests from Vietnam on time. This morning, we received a formal notice from the Authority of Communications regarding a standard service notification procedure required under new telecom regulations.
“The deadline for the response is May 27, and we are processing the request,” the Telegram representative said.
A technology ministry official said the move followed Telegram’s failure to share user data with the government when asked as part of criminal investigations.
The Vietnamese police and state news outlets have repeatedly warned people of possible crime, frauds and data breaches on Telegram channels and groups.
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, the document said. — Reuters
