Vietnam: Ministry of Public Security closes consultation on draft Cyber Security Law including content moderation regulation

On 16 July 2025, the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam closes the consultation on the draft Cyber Security Law. The draft Cyber Security Law, if enacted, would replace the 2015 Law on Cyber Information Security and the 2018 Law on Cyber Security. The law would require organisations and individuals managing information systems to monitor, detect, and remedy information conflicts on the network. Measures include the identification of the sources of such conflicts on the network and the exclusion of illegal activities on the Internet that seriously affect national defence and security, social order, and safety of domestic and foreign organisations and individuals. Information system managers are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, and removal of information in five categories, in collaboration with specialised cybersecurity protection forces and domestic and foreign enterprises. The first category is information with content against the State of Vietnam and includes content that distorts or defames the State or insults the national flag, anthem, emblem, or prominent figures. The second category is information that incites riots, disturbs public order, or disrupts security. The third category is information that humiliates or slanders, including information that seriously offends the honour of others and fabricated information that does the same or damages the legitimate interests of other organisations, agencies, or individuals. The fourth category is information infringing upon the economic order, and includes false information about products, goods, or currency, and false information in the fields of finance and banking. The fifth category is information with untrue contents that confuses the people, damages socioeconomic activities, causes difficulty in the operation of State agencies or officials, or infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of agencies, organisations, or individuals. It is considered an act of cybercrime under the draft law to distort history, deny revolutionary achievements, undermine the unity of the nation, insult prominent figures, insult religion, or discriminate based on gender or race. Finally, the draft law also prohibits prostitution, "social evils", human trafficking, and posting obscene information.