Vietnam orders complete Telegram block

The Ministry of Technology of Vietnam has instructed telecommunications companies to block the Telegram messenger due to its refusal to cooperate in the investigation of crimes that, according to police, are committed through the platform. This is stated in a government document dated May 21, Reuters reports.

The document states that 68% of Vietnam's 9,600 Telegram channels and groups violate the law. Among the recorded crimes are fraud, drug trafficking and even suspicions of terrorism. It also mentions that "many groups with tens of thousands of members were created by opposition and radical forces to spread anti-government materials."

The ministry instructed operators to take measures to restrict Telegram's activities in the country and report on them by June 2.

According to the agency, Telegram did not provide the authorities with user data requested, which made it impossible to investigate the crimes. A ministry spokesman confirmed the document's authenticity to Reuters.

As the publication notes, Vietnam is known for its strict censorship of the Internet and does not tolerate dissent. The government has repeatedly demanded that Facebook, Google, YouTube and TikTok cooperate in removing "toxic" content, including fake news and anti-state materials.

Earlier, Telegram founder Pavel Durov criticized officials in France for trying to oblige messengers to provide the police with a "backdoor" - a loophole that would allow them to read private messages.