By Chris Brummitt
Associated Press
Posted: 08/06/2013 11:53:31 AM PDT
HANOI, Vietnam — The United States joined Silicon Valley Internet giants Google (GOOG) and Facebook on Tuesday in criticizing a new decree in Vietnam that further curbs online free speech and forces foreign companies to keep servers inside the country.
The Internet has emerged as a major avenue of dissent in Vietnam, alarming conservative elements in the Communist government. Authorities want to stifle dissent, but must balance this with the reality that a free Internet is important to maintaining economic growth and attracting investment.
It issued Decree 72 last month, prohibiting the posting of material that “opposes” the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and “harms national security” and other vague terms. The decree cements an ongoing crackdown: Many of the 46 people convicted this year under other laws banning dissent were bloggers.
U.S. officials in Hanoi, as well as large multinational Internet companies, lobbied the government during the drafting process. Some of the more draconian elements were dropped, but the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi made it clear that it was disappointed with the final version.
“Fundamental freedoms apply online just as they do offline,” the embassy said in a statement. “We are deeply concerned by the decree’s provisions that appear to limit the types of information individuals can share via personal social media accounts and on websites.
Read more: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_23806031/vietnams-internet-crackdown-decried-by-u-s-google
