Facebook blockages as Vietnam limits electronic expression

Internet users in Vietnam have expressed concerns that government restrictions to the popular social networking site Facebook will soon lead to a complete blackout, if this has not taken place already.

Sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Bebo are hugely popular with expats across the globe as a way to keep in touch and up to date with friends and family abroad.

While the rest of the world is chatting and sharing photos, Vietnamese service providers are making access to Facebook increasingly difficult. Some users can still access the site but since earlier this month connections have been more and more difficult. The government has denied any responsibility.

However, workers at government companies such as FPT Telecom and Vietnam Post have confirmed that they were instructed by officials to block Facebook which presently has around 1 million users across Vietnam.

Since August this year a circular apparently from the government has been doing the rounds asking for several sites to be blocked including Facebook. The lack of official government stamp meant that few took the memo seriously, that was until most of the list sites began to disappear.

Other foreign networking sites have also experienced difficulties although Vietnamese Vinagame is having no such issues.

Earlier this year a group of Chinese activists had mobilised in the Central Highlands using Facebook as a medium, this has sparked fears that the Vietnamese government was looking at controlling all forms of electronic expression and communication. Vietnam has also strict controls over personal blogs and several arrests were made earlier this year of pro-democracy bloggers. China too has blocked Facebook, meaning user numbers fell from over 1 million to just 14,000.