The National Assembly of Vietnam has confirmed the adoption of the cybersecurity law that recently caused a lot of controversy. The law requires technology companies such as Google and Facebook to store electronic user data within the Vietnamese state.

An important point is that representatives of such companies must now establish branches in the territory of Vietnam. The Ministry of Public Security stated that in the event of criminal cases initiated against certain individuals, following a written request, internet service leaders are obliged to provide the personal data of these users. The data retention period is determined by the government.

The same law includes other conditions regarding rules of conduct on social networks. Thus, users can be held liable if their pages feature any anti-state activity, distortion of history, negative reviews of the party, dissemination of false data, or the incitement of conflict on racial, religious, or gender grounds.

According to media reports, 87% of parliamentary participants supported the bill. The law will enter into force in 2019.

Vietnamese citizens reacted ambiguously to this innovation. It is believed that this decision was one of the reasons why protests and riots occurred in Vietnamese cities, in particular, Nha Trang and Phan Thiet. Proponents of repealing the bill state that this approach restricts freedom of speech and could also deter potential investors. However, the opposition argues to the contrary, believing that these measures are necessary for public safety.