May 23, 2025 — The Telecommunications Department (Ministry of Information and Communications) has officially requested telecommunications enterprises to implement technical measures to block the Telegram messaging application in Vietnam, following a proposal from the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department (A05), Ministry of Public Security.
This move demonstrates the government's determination to tighten management of cross-border platforms violating the law, protecting cybersecurity and domestic social order.
According to Official Document No. 2312/CVT-CS dated May 2, 2025, issued based on a report from Department A05 (No. 2898/A05-P5 dated April 24), Telegram is being seriously abused for illegal activities in Vietnam. Specifically, 68% of the total 9,600 Telegram channels/groups operating in Vietnam are assessed as having harmful, toxic content, including:
- Disseminating documents opposing the State, publicly organizing reactionary activities;
- Illegally selling personal data, drugs, and prohibited goods;
- Financial fraud, illegal Capital mobilization;
- Suspected involvement in terrorist activities.
Department A05 warns that Telegram's end-to-end encryption features, high anonymity, and ease of creating large groups have become a "shield" helping high-tech criminals hide and operate difficult to control.
The Telecommunications Department emphasizes that providing cross-border services like Telegram must comply with Vietnamese legal regulations. However, this platform has not fulfilled the obligation to notify cross-border telecommunications service provision since January 1, 2025 according to Decree 147/2024/NĐ-CP.
Telegram also does not cooperate with authorities in handling violations, seriously violating the Telecommunications Law (Clause 4, Article 9) and showing signs of exploiting telecommunications activities to infringe on national security (Clause 1, Article 9).
Facing this situation, the Telecommunications Department has:
- Sent documents requesting blocking Telegram to all domestic telecommunications enterprises;
- Requested immediate deployment of technical solutions to prevent this application in Vietnam;
- Requested reporting of implementation results before June 2, 2025.
This is a tough stance in a context where handling violations in cyberspace is becoming more urgent than ever. Blocking Telegram, if implemented thoroughly, will be an important step to purify the Internet environment, reducing the risk of fraud, spreading misinformation, and anonymous criminal activities.
The management agency hopes that with synchronized cooperation between functional units, Vietnam will build a healthier, safer cyberspace for citizens, especially in a context where high-tech crime is becoming increasingly sophisticated and difficult to control.
According to Dan Tri
