Vietnam will implement mandatory identity verification for social media users of both local and foreign platforms. The regulation still needs the approval of the country's lawmakers. However, the measure, framed as part of the Telecommunications Law Amendment to be issued by the end of this year, would enable law enforcement agencies to track down offenders using social media.
According to information deputy minister Nguyen Thanh Lam, 'there are times the authorities can identify social media account holders that violate the laws but cannot track them down because those criminals use cross-border applications'. This regulation is aimed at addressing this issue.
In recent years, Vietnam has issued several regulations on the topic, including a cybersecurity law that forces foreign tech firms to establish representative offices in Vietnam and store data in the country.