Vietnam Orders Telegram Block Over Crime Concerns, App Responds with Surprise

Vietnam's Ministry of Information and Communications has ordered telecommunication providers to block the messaging app Telegram, citing its failure to cooperate in criminal investigations.

The directive, dated May 21 and signed by the deputy head of the ministry's telecom department, requires providers to implement the block and report back by June 2.

Authorities said the move follows reports from police that 68% of the 9,600 Telegram channels and groups in Vietnam were involved in illegal activities, including fraud, drug trafficking and suspected terrorism.

The ministry stated that Telegram had not complied with laws requiring social media platforms to monitor, remove and block unlawful content.

A ministry official said Telegram failed to share user data when requested during criminal investigations.

The government confirmed the action against Telegram on its official web portal after the Reuters report was published.

Telegram said it was surprised by the decision.

A company representative said Telegram had responded to Vietnam’s legal requests on time and had received a formal notice from the Authority of Communications on Friday.

The representative added that Telegram was processing the request, which has a response deadline of May 27.

Despite the order, Telegram remained accessible in Vietnam as of Friday.

Vietnamese police and state media have repeatedly warned the public about crimes, fraud and data breaches occurring on Telegram.

The document also claimed that many large Telegram groups were created by opposition figures to spread anti-government content.

Vietnam’s Communist Party enforces strict media controls and has previously demanded cooperation from platforms like Facebook, YouTube and TikTok to remove content deemed offensive or anti-state.

Telegram, which has nearly 1 billion users globally, has faced scrutiny in other countries, including France, where its founder Pavel Durov was briefly detained in 2024.

French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit Vietnam starting Sunday.

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• Vietnam orders telecoms to block Telegram by June 2

• Authorities cite 68% of local Telegram groups involved in illegal activity

• Telegram says it is surprised and is processing a government request

Source: REUTERS