Vietnam’s telecom service providers have been told to block or limit access to messaging app Telegram, the official Government Electronic Newspaper has reported.
Update May 26: The article on the government news portal this references has been removed. It’s not clear why. However, here is the link to the original government source: No: 2312/CVT-CS Regarding preventing the operation of basic telecommunications services on the Internet with signs of violating the law .
The move follows a request from the Department of Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention, part of the Ministry of Public Security, citing widespread illegal activity on Telegram, including anti-state propaganda, fraud, drug sales, and terrorism links.
Key details:
- The Department claims 68 percent of Vietnam-based Telegram groups are allegedly linked to anti-government, criminal, or extremist activity.
- Authorities noted that Telegram has not complied with Vietnamese law under Decree 147/2024/ND-CP and Decree 163/2024/ND-CP, such as failing to: notify regulators it is operating in Vietnam, remove illegal content, and register telecommunications services as required from January 1, 2025.
- The deadline for telecom firms to report on progress is June 2, 2025.
Vietnam’s move to block or restrict Telegram underscores a broader tightening of digital platform regulations that foreign investors should be mindful of. It highlights the government’s increasing enforcement of cybersecurity, content control, and telecommunications laws, especially for cross-border services.
This is a reminder of the compliance risks for foreign firms operating in sectors like tech, media, fintech, and cloud services, and that market access may require local registration, data localisation, and active coordination with Vietnamese authorities.
This could be read as an indication of Vietnam’s intent to assert digital sovereignty and prioritise national security in its tech policy framework.
See also: ICT Industry in Vietnam 2025: Market Size, Key Players & Regulations