The Vietnamese government has issued a directive to telecommunications providers to block the Telegram application due to its non-cooperation in addressing alleged crimes committed by its users.
The document, dated May 21 and signed by the Deputy Head of the Communications Department at the Ministry of Technology, instructs telecom companies to implement measures to obstruct access to Telegram and report these actions to the ministry by June 2.
Additionally, the ministry has requested that telecom providers “develop solutions and procedures to prevent Telegram’s activities in Vietnam.”
According to the document, this decision was made under the guidance of the country’s cybersecurity agency, following police reports indicating that 68% of the 9,600 channels and groups on Telegram in Vietnam are in violation of the law. These violations reportedly include fraud, drug trafficking, and activities suspected to be linked to terrorism.
A representative from the Ministry of Technology confirmed to reporters the authenticity of the document and noted that this action follows Telegram’s failure to provide user data to the government when requested during criminal investigations.
As of now, neither Telegram nor the Vietnamese Ministry of Technology has responded to requests for comments.
Telegram, which competes globally with other social media applications such as Facebook’s WhatsApp and WeChat, remains accessible in Vietnam as of Friday.