Vietnam regularly sentences domestic critics to harsh prison terms but has come under fire recently for targeting dissent on the world’s most popular social network (Manan VATSYAYANA)<\/i><\/p>\n
Hanoi (AFP) – Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Facebook of “caving” to Vietnam’s strict censorship regime, after the US tech giant confirmed it was blocking content deemed illegal by the country’s communist government.<\/p>\n
Authorities regularly sentence domestic critics to harsh prison terms but have come under fire recently for targeting dissent on the world’s most popular social network. <\/p>\n
Facebook is a popular platform for activists in Vietnam, where all independent media is banned, but the company confirmed in a statement to AFP that it had been instructed by Hanoi to restrict access to content “deemed to be illegal”. <\/p>\n
“We have taken this action to ensure our services remain available and usable for millions of people in Vietnam, who rely on them every day,” a spokesperson said. <\/p>\n
But Amnesty said the decision was “a devastating turning point for freedom of expression” in the country.<\/p>\n
“Ruthless suppression of freedom of expression is nothing new, but Facebook’s shift in policy makes them complicit,” said the rights watchdog’s William Nee.<\/p>\n
More than 53 million people in Vietnam — over half the population — use Facebook. The platform is also a crucial marketing tool for local business.<\/p>\n
Domestic social media networks have so far failed to win a share of that lucrative online market.<\/p>\n
Since the beginning of the year, authorities have questioned hundreds of Facebook users over posts connected to the coronavirus pandemic and the government’s handling of the health crisis.<\/p>\n
Several were slapped with fines and had their posts removed after admitting they had spread “fake news”.<\/p>\n
The government introduced a new regulation this month that makes it easier for authorities to fine and jail online critics. <\/p>\n
Around 10 percent of Vietnam’s current crop of political prisoners were jailed because of their activity on Facebook, Amnesty says.<\/p>\n
Disclaimer:<\/b> Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vietnam regularly sentences domestic critics to harsh prison terms but has come under fire recently for targeting dissent on the world’s most popular social network (Manan VATSYAYANA) Hanoi (AFP) – Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Facebook of “caving” to Vietnam’s strict censorship regime, after the US tech giant confirmed it was blocking content deemed illegal…<\/p>\n