Vietnam acts to block messaging app Telegram government document seen by Reuters shows

HANOI - Vietnam’s Technology Ministry has instructed telecommunications services providers to block the messaging app Telegram for not cooperating in combating alleged crimes committed by its users, according to a government document reviewed by Reuters.

The document, dated May 21 and signed by the deputy head of the telecoms department at the Technology Ministry, ordered telecoms companies to take measures to block Telegram and report on them to the ministry by June 2.

The ministry asked telecoms services providers “to deploy solutions and measures to prevent Telegram’s activities in Vietnam”.

The document said the ministry was acting on behalf of the country’s cyber-security department after police reported that 68 per cent of the 9,600 Telegram channels and groups in the country violated the law, citing fraud, drug trafficking and “cases suspected of being related to terrorism” among the illegal activities carried out through the app.

A Technology Ministry official confirmed to Reuters the authenticity of the document, noting the move follows Telegram’s failure to share user data with the government when asked as part of criminal investigations.

Telegram and Vietnam’s Technology Ministry did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

The Vietnamese police and state news outlets have repeatedly warned people of possible crime, frauds and data breaches on Telegram channels and groups.

Telegram, which competes globally with other social media apps such as Facebook’s WhatsApp and WeChat, was still available in Vietnam on May 23.

Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party maintains tight media censorship and tolerates little dissent. The country has repeatedly asked companies like Facebook, Google’s YouTube and TikTok to coordinate with the 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, according to