QUICK ANSWER:
No, Google is not banned in Vietnam.
(But many news-related Youtube channels have been banned from publishing news)
Related post: Can you Buy Google Reviews?
Click here to learn How to Buy Reviews on Google.
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The topic of internet censorship in Vietnam can be found on Wikipedia.
The government of Vietnam asserts that it blocks obscene or sexually explicit content to protect the country, but many of the filtered sites actually contain politically or religiously critical materials that could challenge the Communist Party and its rule. Amnesty International has documented numerous cases of Internet activists being arrested for their online activities.
Background Edit
reactionary” or “depraved” content
Vietnam’s internet regulation began in 1997 with a government decree that gave the General Director of the Postal Bureau (DGPT) authority over all aspects of the Internet. This included regulating Internet Service Providers and the registration of individuals who wanted to use the Internet.
Legal framework Edit
Responsibility for Internet content in Vietnam is divided between the Ministry of Culture and Information and the Ministry of Public Security. The Ministry of Culture and Information focuses on sexually explicit, superstitious, or violent content, while the Ministry of Public Security monitors politically sensitive content. While Vietnam guarantees freedom of speech, press, and assembly in theory, state security laws and regulations limit these freedoms in practice. All internet content in Vietnam must comply with various laws, such as the Press Law and Publication Law, as well as state secrets and intellectual property protections. Both domestic and foreign individuals and organizations are legally responsible for the content they create, disseminate, and store on the internet in Vietnam. It is illegal in Vietnam use internet resources or host material that opposes the state, destabilizes security, economy, or social order, incites opposition, discloses state secrets, infringes on rights, or interferes with the state’s Domain Name System (DNS) servers. The Law on Information Technology was enacted in June 2006, and violations of internet use rules can result in fines or criminal liability for offenses such as causing chaos or security disorder.
This includes people who Buy Gmail accounts, and who buy negative Google reviews.
According to a law passed in 2010, public Internet providers such as Internet cafes, hotels, and businesses offering free Wi-Fi were required to install software that tracks users’ activities.
In September 2013, Decree 72 was implemented, which prohibits the online distribution of materials that can harm national security or oppose the Vietnamese Government. The decree also restricts the sharing of general information from media outlets and requires foreign web companies targeting users in Vietnam to operate servers within the country.
Censored content Edit
Subversive content Edit
Among the listed rules in Saigon, there are restrictions on accessing websites with subversive or pornographic content.
According to OpenNet research, websites containing content about overseas political opposition, overseas and independent media, human rights, and religious topics are the most commonly blocked. Additionally, proxies and circumvention tools, which are prohibited, are frequently blocked as well.
The majority of blocked websites in Vietnam are those written in Vietnamese or dealing with issues related to Vietnam. Sites not specifically related to Vietnam or only written in English are rarely blocked. For instance, the Vietnamese-language version of the website for [3].
The website of the British Broadcasting Corporation (www.bbc.co.uk) is sometimes blocked.
Pornography Edit
The government claims that censorship on the Internet is to prevent “obscene” content, but very few pornographic websites are actually censored in Vietnam. This suggests that censorship is not truly for government reasons. A study conducted in 2006 found that no porn websites were blocked, except for one with a link to another porn site, which was blocked for different reasons. Media representatives in Vietnam believe that websites like Facebook and YouTube are blocked due to economic reasons, as they use a large portion of international bandwidth without bringing profits to the country. People have questioned why thousands of porn websites are allowed to operate without being blocked if they are not profitable. In November 2019, it is possible that some Vietnamese ISPs silently or officially blocked a large number of porn sites, but this has not been clearly announced.
Social networking Edit
Vietnamese Facebook users reported difficulties accessing the website during the week of November 16, 2009.
On August 27, 2009, an alleged official decree was leaked on the Internet, but its authenticity has not been confirmed. The Vietnamese government denied intentionally blocking access to Facebook, and the Internet service provider FPT stated that they are collaborating with foreign companies to resolve the issue blocking access to Facebook’s servers in the United States.
Blogging Edit
In Vietnam, Yahoo! 360° was a popular blogging service. Following a government crackdown on journalists reporting on corruption in mid-2008, many blogs discussed the events and expressed criticism towards the government action. Consequently, the Ministry of Information suggested new regulations that would limit blogs to personal topics.
In 2020, Medium experienced a blockage, and as of 2021, there continue to be several Internet service provider blocks based on technology deep packet inspection.
Instant messaging Edit
Yahoo! Messenger is one of the instant messaging software that seems to be monitored, with messages frequently blocked and not seen by the intended recipient.
Criticism of Vietnamese government on Youtube videos and social media platforms hosted by internet service providers and potential threats to national security Edit
In 2019, Vietnam implemented a cybersecurity law that prohibits online criticism of the government and mandates ISPs to provide user data upon request.
Vietnamese users, social media users and internet users on social media networks or blogging platforms created by social media companies must not do Vietnamese government criticism on online platforms in Ho chi minh city or anywhere else, and Facebook’s vice president agreed to this government censorship as well as other tech giants and technology companies respecting this local law.
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