Việt Nam’s Draft Law Tightens State Control Over Cyber Religious Freedom

 

 

by Hoàng Nam

The Vietnamese Magazine |  8 April 2026

 

Religious and belief activities in cyberspace are set to face tighter control in Việt Nam, following the recent rollout of citizen scoring systems, stricter administrative penalties, fake news classification, and social media identity verification.

Legislative File: Between April 8 and April 24, the 16th National Assembly will review the draft revised Law on Belief and Religion during its first session. This draft proposes that only individuals and organizations “registered with commune-level People’s Committees” or those officially recognized by the state may engage in online religious and belief activities.

Specifically, this restriction applies to representatives and management boards of belief establishments, individuals “registered with commune-level People’s Committees,” dignitaries, officials, and religious practitioners; religious organizations and their affiliates; organizations granted certificates of religious activity registration; and state-recognized groups conducting collective religious practices. 

Furthermore, these entities must comply with cybersecurity regulations, notify authorities of their online communication channels, register contact points with state agencies, take full responsibility for their content, and remove or block posts within 24 hours upon request.

Context: This legislation is part of the Vietnamese government’s broader effort to build an increasingly stringent legal framework regulating cybersecurity and social media across most sectors. 

In December 2025, the 15th National Assembly passed the revised Cybersecurity Law under an expedited procedure to tighten control over online freedoms. This law will take effect on July 1, 2026. 

To prepare, former Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính instructed the Ministry of Public Security on March 16, 2026, to finalize eight implementing decrees before the July rollout. 

In the first half of 2026, the Ministry has continuously drafted and solicited feedback on various legal instruments, including decrees on combating fake information, administrative sanctions in cybersecurity, personal data protection, and a resolution on digital citizen development.

The bigger picture: These tightening regulations occur as international organizations continue to rate Việt Nam poorly on religious freedom. 

In its 2026 annual report, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom again recommended designating Việt Nam as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC). According to USCIRF, Vietnamese authorities had imprisoned approximately 80 individuals in connection with their religious activities as of December 2024.

The Vietnamese government has consistently rejected these allegations. While Việt Nam is religiously diverse, the state officially recognizes only 16 religions and 36 domestic religious organizations. 

Within the country, the Central Highlands remains a significant hotspot for religious freedom issues. Since the 2001 protests calling for greater religious freedom and land rights, Montagnard communities in the region have faced heavy repression, forcing thousands to flee their homeland and seek asylum in other countries.

 

 

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