Science and Technology Ministry accused the messaging app of not fighting crimes that Vietnamese users have suspected of committing.
In a move that Telegram said was surprising, Vietnam ordered the country’s telecom service providers to block messaging app Telegram to avoid fighting crimes suspected by users of the platform.
According to a report on the government’s news portal on Friday, the Vietnamese telecommunications division of the Ministry of Science and Technology has sent a letter to an internet service provider warning that Telegram has “signs of violation of law.”
The ministry said Internet service providers should “implement solutions and measures to prevent Telegram’s activities in Vietnam.”
The letter dated May 21 ordered providers to take action against the telegram and report it to the ministry by June 2.
Nearly 70% of Vietnam’s 9,600 Telegram’s channels contain “toxic and bad information,” the government said, citing police in a report on the app. Telegram groups and associations, which involved tens of thousands of people, were involved in “reactionary activities,” spreading “anti-rock documents,” the government added.
The government also claimed that some groups on Telegram also used the app to sell user data, and were involved in drug trafficking or had “terrorist” links.
Vietnam’s hardline government generally moves quickly, challenges it, and arrests critics, especially those who find audiences on social media.
Last year in Vietnam, new rules were enacted that require platforms like Facebook and Tiktok to verify user identity and hand over data to authorities.
In a statement to Reuters News Agency, a Telegram representative said the company was “shocked” by the Vietnamese government’s move.
“We responded to a legal request from Vietnam on time. The deadline for the response is May 27th and we are processing the request,” a Telegram representative said.
An official from the Vietnam Ministry of Science and Technology told Reuters that the decision was followed by Telegram’s failure to share user data with the government as part of a criminal investigation.
The telegram was still available in Vietnam as of Friday.
According to the Data Report website, there were 79.8 million people using Vietnam’s internet in early 2025, while data extraction company Soax showed 11.8 million telegram users.
With nearly 1 billion users worldwide, Telegram is involved in controversies around the world related to security and data breaches concerns.
Pavel Durov, the Russian-born founder and chief executive of Telegram, was detained at Paris airport and later charged with several counts of failing to curb app militants and “terrorist” content. He reportedly remains in France and cannot leave without permission from the authorities.
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