Vietnam plans 24-hour take-down law for ‘illegal’ social media content -sources
- 24-hour time frame to take down ‘illegal content and services’ will not have a grace period, while active ‘illegal live-streams’ must be blocked within 3 hours
- Currently, social media platforms have a few days to handle government requests. Amendments are expected to be signed into law next month and enforced from July
Vietnam is preparing new rules requiring social media firms to take down content it deems illegal within 24 hours, three people with direct knowledge of the matter said.
The planned amendments to current law will cement Vietnam, a US$1 billion market for Facebook, as one of the world’s most stringent regimes for social media firms and will strengthen the ruling Communist Party’s hand as it cracks down on “anti-state” activity.
The 24-hour time frame to take down “illegal content and services” will not have a grace period, while active “illegal live-streams” must be blocked within three hours, the people said. Companies that do not meet the deadlines could see their platforms banned in the country, they added.
Social media companies have also been told content that harms national security must be taken down immediately, according to two of the people and a third source.
Currently, social media platforms often have a few days to handle requests from the Vietnamese government, the sources said.
The amendments, which have not been made public, are expected to be signed by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh next month and enforced from July, five people said.
Sources who spoke with Reuters for this article declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue. Vietnam’s communications and foreign ministries did not respond to requests for comment.