Vietnam has decided to put strict rules on online dissent with a new decree that warns fines of several thousand dollars for anybody criticising the government on the popular social media site, Facebook.
The legislation, which will be implemented in January, looks set to further narrow the space for online expression in a country already branded an “enemy of the Internet” by Reporters Without Borders.
“A fine of up to $4,760 will be applied to anyone producing propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam," according to a copy of “decree 174” posted on a government website,” reported AFP.
Counteracting national unity, “distorting historical facts” and writing comments on Facebook that “hurt the nation” have all also become administrative offences punishable by law.
Criticising the government is already a criminal offence punishable by jail time under a slew of vaguely worded national security laws that have been heavily criticised by rights groups.
The new legislation appears to be an administrative means of punishing Facebook postings that may fall short of meeting requirements for criminal prosecution.
It applies both to individual Facebook users and organisations and enterprises providing social network (services)," according to the decree.
Fines will be lower for individual users.
According to industry figures, Facebook -- which has some 22 million active users in Vietnam, -- is the most popular social networking site in the country, despite being periodically blocked.
The new decree, which was signed by Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in mid November, follows the introduction of another sweeping new law -- decree 72 -- which came into force in September and criminalises the sharing of news on Facebook.
The government has not given a clear indication of how either decree will be implemented and to date it appears no one has been prosecuted under decree 72.