National Assembly passes Cyber Security Law

The draft law, which will be signed into the law and will take effect on January 1st, 2019, gained landslide support with 423 deputies out of the total 466 present casting their vote in favor, while 15 deputies voted against the draft and 28 others did not cast a vote. The law, with 7 chapters and 43 clauses, aims to protect national security and safeguard social order in regard to the Internet, with both the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Information and Communication serving as the watchdogs.

The new cybersecurity law bans Internet users from organizing, encouraging or training other people for anti-state purposes. They are also not allowed to distort history, negate the nation's revolutionary achievements, undermine national solidarity, offend religions or discriminate on the basis of gender and race.

Other clauses include requirement specifications for foreign businesses and the storage of their Vietnamese users' data.