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Vietnam reportedly found that TikTok has stored information that is considered to violate the law on its domestic servers, including fake information, distortion, and incitement of violence395. As of 2023, TikTok is the only platform that has an office in Vietnam, which is the reason why the company could be probed by authorities. Having a local office in a country that imposes digital repression can be a potential risk to a company, as the government can impose sanctions to make t he company comply with government orders. As the platform has around 50 million users in Vietnam, ranking among the highest in the world, many have been concerned about what would be the company’s next steps to protect its user base396. In addition, the Vietnamese government strategy to control content also includes the deployment of “opinion-shapers” to police content on social media platforms and shape 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 public opinion. Known to the public is Force 47, an army unit tasked to “fight proactively against the wrong views”397, 398. There are also “public opinion shapers” who are reportedly civilians who share the same ideology with the CPV and do the work as volunteers399,400. A report described them as recruited from young CPV members and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union401. In the past, a now defunct Facebook group called “E47”, a name that is a clear reference to Force 47, also worked in coordination with the latter to target specific Facebook accounts considered as opposing the CPV402. Reuters reported that Force 47 was created in 2016, which then set up hundreds of Facebook groups and pages to publish thousands of pro-government articles and posts 403. When the cyber army became publicly known in 2017, the group reportedly had around around 10,000 personnel 404. While some reports describe the unit as Ibid. Kemp, Simon. “Digital 2023: Vietnam.” DataReportal, 13 Feb. 2023, datareportal.com/reports/digital-2023-vietnam. Biddle, Sam. “Facebook Lets Vietnam’s Cyberarmy Target Dissidents, Rejecting a Celebrity’s Plea.” The Intercept, 21 Dec. 2020, theintercept.com/2020/12/21/facebook-vietnam-censorship. Luong, Dien Nguyen An. “2021/22 ‘How the Vietnamese State Uses Cyber Troops to Shape Online Discourse’.” ISEAS, 2021, www.iseas.edu.sg/articles-commentaries/iseas-perspective/2021-22-how-the-vietnamesestate-uses-cyber-troops-to-shape-online-discourse-by-dien-nguyen-an-luong. Ibid. Biddle, Sam. “Facebook Lets Vietnam’s Cyberarmy Target Dissidents, Rejecting a Celebrity’s Plea.” The Intercept, 21 Dec. 2020, theintercept.com/2020/12/21/facebook-vietnam-censorship. Ibid. Ibid. Pearson, James. “Insight: How Vietnam’s ‘Influencer’ Army Wages Information Warfare on Facebook.” Reuters, 9 July 2021, www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/how-vietnams-influencer-army-wages-informationwarfare-facebook-2021-07-09. “Vietnam Unveils 10,000-strong Cyber Unit to Combat ‘Wrong Views.’” Reuters, 26 Dec. 2017, www.reuters. com/article/idUSKBN1EK0XB. 105

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Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

Report

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Language

English

Topic

Digital Rights
Digital Surveillance
Information Operation
Internet Connectivity / Accessibility
Internet Restrictions

Author(s)

DigitalReach

Date Published: Aug 6, 2024

Abstract: It is undeniable that information technology has significantly impacted human rights and democracy these days. Different governments around Southeast Asia continually attempt to control digital space through, for example, using repressive laws and regulations, forcing social media platforms to follow their orders, and using spyware and similar technology to surveil critics. In Southeast Asia, democracy and human rights have deteriorated because of these attempts, especially for countries under authoritarian regimes.

In order to better understand the situation, DigitalReach publishes annual reports to present and analyze the events and trends around the region. The 2023 annual report analyzes the digital rights situation in eight countries across Southeast Asia—namely Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam–from January 2023 to December 2023, with glimpses of key updates into 2024, given the timing of its release.

The report format has been changed completely from the previous years. In order to more systematically present the developments observed, the report is organized into three key areas: (1) Legal and Policy Developments, (2) Information Control and Manipulation, and (3) Threats Against Critics and Political Opposition.

From a regional perspective, legal and policy developments in countries that are known to restrict human rights are still mainly about using or coming up with new policies to further suppress human rights in the digital sphere. Countries considered to be more democratic also attempt to change or repeal their laws, but still without a clear sign of improvement toward digital rights.

In terms of information control and manipulation, social media platforms continue to be deployed for political ends, with different platforms serving a specific purpose for each country. The shift toward short video format, TikTok in particular, continued from 2022 to contribute toward information disorder, especially during election periods. The use of video shorts is important when targeting young voters, who played an important role in determining election results in Thailand and Indonesia this year like they did in the Philippines and Malaysia in 2022. State-sponsored cyber armies were also documented, while some governments preferred to assert more effective control of social media platforms. Other important methods related to the flow of information include suppression of media freedom and internet disruptions, which are particularly severe in Myanmar following the 2021 coup.

Judicial harassment is a key form of threat used against critics and political opposition in 2023. It is still common for people in Southeast Asia to be thrown in jail for what they say or do online. Others who do not subscribe to the government’s ideology face online harassment from state-sponsored cyber armies or government supporters. In terms of surveillance, 5 out of 8 countries included in this report have been found to have or are likely to have spyware technology.

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2023-Annual-Report-FINAL-1.pdf
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Myanmar Internet Project

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Annual Report: Digital Rights in Southeast Asia 2023-2024

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