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In Vietnam, Facebook and Google fast becoming ‘human rights-free zones’, says Amnesty International
- Vietnam has long jailed its critics but the number has now reached the highest in years, with around 70 currently serving time for online activism
- The ruling Communist Party has intensified a crackdown on dissidents and online activists ahead of a key party meeting next year
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Agence France-Pressein Hanoi
Facebook and Google are fast becoming “human rights-free zones” in Vietnam, Amnesty International warned on Tuesday, accusing the tech titans of helping censor peaceful dissent and political expression in the country.
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Communist Vietnam has long jailed its critics but the number has now reached the highest since Amnesty began publishing figures in 1996. Hanoi has come under fire in recent years for targeting users on Facebook, a popular forum for activists in the country where all independent media is banned.
The social network admitted earlier this year that it was blocking content deemed illegal by authorities, while its latest transparency report revealed a nearly 1,000 per cent increase in the content it censors on government orders compared to the previous six months.
Amnesty said in a report on Tuesday that are at least 170 “prisoners of conscience” – which it defines as people who have not used or advocated violence, but were imprisoned because of their identity or beliefs – in the country, around 70 of whom are currently serving jail terms for online activism.
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Vietnam is now the biggest country by revenue for Facebook and Google in Southeast Asia, according to industry experts.
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