With concerns over free access to social media creating serious privacy breaches across the world, Vietnam recently put in force a stringent cyber security law.
The law, which is to be enforced from the 1st of January, will place serious restrictions on the free use of social media giant Facebook, while requiring internet companies to scrub critical content and hand over user data to Vietnam’s communist government.
As an escape, Facebook users are shifting to self-professed US based free speech platform Minds, with 100,000 new active users registered in Vietnam in less than a week. Obviously, since users are not required to register with personal data and all chats are encrypted.
The Vietnamese government, however, defends the move, attributing it as a protection for internet users in the country and tightening online security — not attacking free speech.
