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| Vietnam has more than 30 million internet users |
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The US has
criticised a new internet decree in Vietnam that would restrict online users
from discussing current affairs.
The law,
announced last week and due to come into force in September, says social media
should only be used for "[exchanging] personal information".
The US
embassy in Hanoi said it was "deeply concerned" by the decree.
Vietnam has
convicted at least 46 activists, including bloggers, for anti-state activity
this year.
The law,
known as Decree 72, bans the online publication of material that
"opposes" the Vietnamese government or "harms national
security".
It also
specifies that social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook should only
be used "to provide and exchange personal information".
In a statement
on Tuesday, the US embassy in Hanoi said it was "deeply concerned by the
decree's provisions that appear to limit the types of information individuals
can share via personal social media accounts and on websites".
"Fundamental
freedoms apply online just as they do offline," it said.
Campaign
group Reporters Without Borders, which has included Vietnam among its list of
"Enemies of the Internet", said: "If [the decree] takes effect,
Vietnamese will be permanently deprived of the independent and outspoken
information that normally circulates in blogs and forums".
The law
would also require foreign internet companies to keep a server inside Vietnam,
news agency AP reported.
The Asia
Internet Coalition, an industry group that represents companies including
Google and Facebook, said in a statement: "In the long term, the decree
will stifle innovation and discourage businesses from operating in
Vietnam."
Vietnam is
a one-party communist state and the authorities maintain a tight grip on the
media.
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