LIV's Quynh-Vi Tran speaks at RightsCon 2025 on internet freedom

On 24th February, Legal Initiatives for Vietnam’s Taiwan Office Director, Quynh-Vi Tran, spoke on the panel “Civil Society and Tech Engagement to Enhance Content Moderation in Southeast Asia” at RightsCon, the world’s leading summit on human rights in the digital age.

The panel, organized by the South East Asia Collaborative Policy Network (SEA CPN), brought together civil society and digital rights organizations to discuss growing challenges to internet freedom in the region. Quynh-Vi Tran was joined by Liza Garcia (Foundation for Media Alternatives), Nenden Arum (Southeast Asia Freedom of Expression Network - SAFEnet), Grace Salonga (Movement Against Disinformation), and Cornelius Damar Hanung (FORUM-ASIA), each bringing key insights on the state of digital rights across Southeast Asia.

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During the discussion, Vi highlighted Vietnam’s unique position as an authoritarian country where global platforms like Facebook and Google remain available—unlike in China—but are under increasing government control. In Vietnam, the internet serves as the only civic space for public discourse, as citizens have historically had little physical space to gather, discuss, or voice grievances. The internet arrived in Vietnam in 1997, and quickly became a phenomenon. By the early 2000s, blogging became a popular way for people to express opinions on local issues. However, the government moved swiftly to regulate online activity, enacting restrictive internet laws and, most notably, the Cybersecurity Law in 2018.

Vi explained that the Cybersecurity Law was introduced in mid-2018, coinciding with widespread protests against both the law itself and a controversial government proposal to lease land to foreign investors, particularly from China, under the Law on Special Economic Zones. On June 10, thousands of people across Vietnam took to the streets, demonstrating against these measures in one of the country's largest public protests in recent years. Leading up to the law’s passage, thousands of Vietnamese citizens had also signed petitions opposing it, and organizations like Human Rights Watch called for its rejection. Protests continued even after its approval, with Catholic communities in Central Vietnam holding peaceful demonstrations in early July. The Cybersecurity Law has expanded the state's control over online spaces, imposing strict regulations on foreign tech companies like Facebook and Google and laying the groundwork for further internet restrictions.

Vietnam also employs extensive online policing. A decade ago, the government openly declared the existence of 10,000 internet police officers tasked with countering information deemed harmful by the state. Today, every state-employed individual is expected to help maintain the government's narrative online. At the same time, independent media face increasing restrictions. Legal Initiatives for Vietnam (LIV) has experienced this firsthand, with some of its YouTube videos being taken down domestically while remaining accessible globally.

Vi emphasized that tech companies need to be strategic and proactive in navigating these challenges. It is crucial for them to establish dedicated human rights teams that genuinely understand these issues and can push back against government censorship.

Another critical issue raised during the panel was the role of social media in safeguarding free speech while addressing harmful content. In many Southeast Asian countries, online trolls linked to ruling elites are weaponizing digital platforms to silence dissent and spreading online fake news, this is creating an urgent need for more effective moderation policies. The discussion highlighted the importance of transparent, rights-respecting approaches to countering disinformation and protecting activists.

Legal Initiatives for Vietnam is proud to be part of this important conversation. We look forward to continued collaboration with RightsCon participants, civil society, and technology stakeholders to push back against digital censorship and strengthen democracy in Southeast Asia and Vietnam.