Vietnam said on Wednesday it has set up a web monitoring unit that can scan up to 100 million news items per day for “false information”, in a move that tightens its grip on internet freedom. The one-party state has rolled out a series of measures to boost its control of online communication.
Lawmakers passed a tough cybersecurity law in June requiring internet providers to store data in the country and remove “toxic content” if requested to do so.
Firms like Facebook and Google will also have to hand over user data if asked by the government. The move came after a top general announced a 10,000-strong internet task force had been set up to monitor online posts.