B. Key Digital Rights Situations in 2025 Under Lâm’s leadership, several laws have been passed, including the Personal Data Protection Law, as well as revised versions of the Cybersecurity Law and the Press Law. The Personal Data Protection Law was passed on June 26, 2025. All three laws indicate the expansion of the Ministry of Public Security’s (MPS) powers. Under the Personal Data Protection Law, the MPS is designated as the enforcement authority. The law grants the ministry the power to access personal data without consent on grounds of “national security” and to compel businesses to surrender user data without court approval473. Both the revised Cybersecurity Law and the revised Press Law were adopted on December 10, 2025, and will take effect on July 1, 2026474, 475. The revised Cybersecurity Law amends the 2019 law, incorporating additional provisions reportedly proposed by the MPS. The revised Press Law, drafted under the supervision of the Ministry of Information and Communications, amends the 2016 Press Law476. Among the newly added provisions of the Cybersecurity Law is a requirement for online service providers to identify the IP addresses of their users and provide this information to authorities upon request477. The MPS is granted full authority over cybersecurity matters, and state-owned agencies, enterprises, and organizations within the political system are encouraged to use Vietnamese-made cybersecurity products478. The law also strictly prohibits a wide range of acts, including spreading anti-state rhetoric, disseminating distorted information about the government, falsifying history, insulting national leaders, and using AI to fabricate videos or voices. Regarding the revised Press Law, while it still maintains the provision requiring the press outlets operating in Vietnam to serve as the mouthpiece of the CPV, it introduces a highly controversial clause empowering the MPS to require news organizations or journalists An, Trường. “Viet Nam 2025: The Power Expansion of the Ministry of Public Security.” The Vietnamese, 5 Jan. 2026, www.thevietnamese.org/2026/01/viet-nam-2025-the-power-expansion-of-the-ministry-ofpublic-security. 474. An, Trường. “The Quiet Passing of Việt Nam’s 2025 Cybersecurity Law.” The Vietnamese,12 Dec. 2025, www.thevietnamese.org/2025/12/the-quiet-passing-of-viet-nams-2025-cybersecurity-law. 475. An, Trường. “The ‘Anti-Journalistic’ Nature of the Revised Press Law.” The Vietnamese, 17 Dec. 2025, www. thevietnamese.org/2025/12/the-anti-journalistic-nature-of-the-revised-press-law. 476. An, Bình, et al. “Vietnam’s Press Law Reform: The Rise of Media Conglomerates.” The Vietnamese, 5 Mar. 2025, www.thevietnamese.org/2025/03/vietnams-press-law-reform-the-rise-of-media-conglomerates. 477. An, Trường. “The Quiet Passing of Việt Nam’s 2025 Cybersecurity Law.” The Vietnamese,12 Dec. 2025, www.thevietnamese.org/2025/12/the-quiet-passing-of-viet-nams-2025-cybersecurity-law. 478. Hoang, Lien. “Vietnamese Government Plans to Enter Into Security Industry.” Nikkei Asia, 18 Nov. 2025, asia.nikkei.com/politics/vietnamese-government-plans-to-enter-into-security-industry. 473. 95