Proposed Cybersecurity Law in Vietnam May Rob Online Freedom
A new cybersecurity law has been proposed in Vietnam, according to which, Vietnamese authorities will get unrestricted access to keep tabs on its citizens and their online activities.
The Bill is Still Pending Approval
The bill in question is dubbed as an act to curb freedom of expression by many, but the proposal is yet to be approved by the National Assembly until Tuesday. But if it were greenlit, the authorities will be able to acquire loads of data from tech companies.
This way the authorities will be able to access users’ personal information, as well as put restrictions on specific content by users which they may inappropriate.
Reactions from the International Community
Amnesty International was the first to write a letter to the figureheads of notable firms; such as Facebook, Google, Apple, and Microsoft etc., urging the Vietnamese government to not pass the cybersecurity bill since it violates privacy rights and the freedom of expression.
The vagueness of the Proposed Bill
Those who have gone through the proposed bill have expressed how it is vague at best, giving way to numerous interpretations. Articles 8 and 15 are especially alarming because they impose penalties on both people and companies alike for not complying with the proposed law.
Historic Relevance
In the Asian region, Vietnam continues to be one of those countries which deny rights to the freedom of expression, as well as carry out crackdowns on human rights activists.
According to a statistics, only 60 million internet users of the country are able to freely express themselves online. But this number is under constant surveillance from Vietnamese authorities and especially those individuals who are vocal about human rights.
30 arrests came in the year 2017 for voicing their concerns about human rights, or for promoting the idea.
How to Protect Yourself from such Surveillance?
You should use a VPN to stay anonymous, especially when using social media to promote your ideas which your government doesn’t want you to talk about. Your government will not be able to monitor your whereabouts since your IP address will appear as though you are in another region altogether!
