Force 47 also known as Vietnam’s cyber armies under the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) hacks anti-government websites and asserts its control over online content by spreading pro-government messages in order to stamp out any form of dissent.
- Title: Vietnam’s battalions of ‘cyber-armies’ silencing online dissent
- Publish Date: January 17, 2020
- Publisher: Al Jazeera
Excerpt:
Growing marking of 96 million people
As Vietnamese searched for more information about what happened in Dong Tam a week ago, some Facebook users reported receiving the message online: “Due to legal requirements in your country, we have restricted access to your profile on Facebook. This means that other people in your country cannot see your profile, and may not be able to interact with you over Messenger.”
Vietnam has a population of 96 million. With more than 60 million Facebook users, it is the platform’s one of the fastest-growing markets.
“Facebook is the main source of independent news now in Vietnam,” said Trinh Huu Long, a co-founder of Legal Initiatives for Vietnam.
“The government has been working with Facebook to try to control content posted by dissidents and independent voices,” he added.
Searches for protests in Hong Kong have also been affected. Many, like Anh Chi, blame the cybersecurity law for the filtered information.
“They know people in Vietnam are active on social media, and they follow the news, especially with what’s happening in Hong Kong every day,” he said. “The government fears that one day people in Vietnam will join such protests.”
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