Vietnam wants more control of its internet.
Godong/UIG via Getty ImageVietnam is taking a leaf out of China's book when it comes to regulating the internet.
Legislators in Vietnam have voted to pass a new law requiring global tech firms with operations in the country to keep user data there, Reuters reported Tuesday.
Social media companies like Facebook will also have to remove offending content from their platforms within one day of receiving a request from authorities, it added.
An estimated 55 million Vietnamese use social media regularly and the country is home to some of Facebook's most active users, ranking at seventh place, according to a 2018 global digital report. Vietnam already has existing laws penalising anyone guilty of "propaganda against the state."
The law is similar to the internet regulations in China, which is notorious for its tight control over the country's cyberspace. Apple sparked controversy when it set up a data centre in China in partnership with a local data management firm in order to be compliant with local rules. Social media companies -- which are typically Chinese as the country bans foreign services such as Facebook and Twitter -- have long been required to help keep dissent out of their platforms, with companies even practicing self-censorship.
The new law is "crucial" in the fight against cyber crime, said Vo Trong Viet, head of the defence and security committee which drafted the law, according to Reuters. He also said it's compliant with international regulations.
There's no timeline given yet as to when the new law will kick in. Still, people are concerned it will stifle free expression in Vietnam.
"This decision has potentially devastating consequences for freedom of expression in Vietnam," Clare Algar, Amnesty International's director of global operations said in a statement.
"With the sweeping powers it grants the government to monitor online activity, this vote means there is now no safe place left in Vietnam for people to speak freely," she added.
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