Online censorship in Vietnam involves a range of legal and technical measures aimed at controlling internet content. This post examines the key aspects of these mechanisms, including relevant laws, enforcement methods, restricted services, and strategies for maintaining access to information.
Censorship Legislation
Vietnam has implemented several laws to regulate online activities. A comprehensive cybersecurity law requires both local and international entities to monitor and remove content that opposes state interests. This applies to individuals within the country, regardless of nationality.
Additional regulations include mandates for information technology providers to impose fines or penalties for disseminating anti-state materials. Public Wi-Fi operators must deploy monitoring software to track user activities. Distribution of content that undermines national security is prohibited, with strict enforcement.
Large online platforms serving significant numbers of Vietnamese users are obligated to establish local presence, including data centers and servers, to facilitate content removal requests within short timeframes.
Enforcement Techniques
The government employs active surveillance of social media and other digital platforms to identify and address restricted content. Collaboration with major technology companies ensures that user data is accessible through localized infrastructure, enhancing monitoring capabilities.
Restricted Websites and Platforms
Certain blogging services have faced blocks, limiting access to popular content creation tools. While broad social media platforms remain available, their content is subject to rigorous oversight and selective restrictions based on political or sensitive topics.
Internet Freedom Overview
The state of internet freedom in Vietnam continues to decline, with escalating controls over online expression. Regulations align digital media with traditional media oversight, fostering an environment of caution among users regarding politically sensitive, explicit, or violent content.
Bypassing Censorship with VPNs
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) provide a technical solution for circumventing restrictions by altering IP addresses and encrypting traffic. This approach masks user locations and protects data on monitored networks.
Key VPN features for effective use include no-logs policies to ensure privacy, kill switches to halt data transmission during connection failures, and safeguards against DNS leaks.
Services such as those offered by Dedicated-IP-VPN provide options tailored to different needs. The following table outlines available plans:
| Plan | Users | Devices | Price (Monthly) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | 1 | 1 device | $3 |
| Family | 5 | 5 devices | $5 |
| Business | 10 | 10 devices | $7 |
All plans include dedicated IP addresses, port forwarding, unlimited bandwidth, no-logs policy, and support for protocols like WireGuard and IKEv2. For configuration details, refer to the setup guide. Additional features can be explored on the features page.