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Facebook as a Weapon: Military Troll Armies & Africa’s Digital Defense

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Vietnam’s Digital Battlefield: When Facebook Becomes a Weapon

The digital landscape in Vietnam is increasingly becoming a contested space, especially for those challenging state narratives. A stark illustration of this dynamic unfolded when journalist and blogger Van Hai Nguyen attempted to shed light on serious allegations against a Vietnamese state-owned bank. In February, news broke on English-language newswires accusing the bank of theft and money laundering by a European investment group. Nguyen, a diligent reporter, took it upon himself to translate these critical reports into Vietnamese, aiming to inform his local audience.

The Systematic Silencing of Online Voices

Nguyen’s efforts to disseminate this sensitive information quickly met with powerful resistance. After initially posting the translated reports on two news sites, which yielded limited reach, he turned to Facebook – a platform with vast public engagement in Vietnam. However, his Facebook posts were swiftly flagged for “platform violations,” triggering a response severe enough to lock him out of his account for three days. The mechanism behind this online suppression remains opaque to Nguyen; he has no means of identifying who flagged his content, nor how many community standards violations were lodged against him. This was, he recognized, part of a disturbing pattern. His page had accumulated a staggering 31 strikes in 2019 and 2020 alone, indicating a persistent, coordinated effort to silence his voice. The impact of this digital siege is profound and palpable. As Nguyen himself articulated to Rest of World, “Currently, my personal page is being squeezed, my friends in the country can’t see my posts.” This systematic suppression effectively cuts off his vital connection with his local readership, preventing them from accessing information deemed critical but inconvenient to state interests.

This recurring scenario highlights a sophisticated strategy of online censorship, where coordinated reporting and flagging mechanisms on platforms like Facebook are weaponized. It underscores the ongoing struggle for freedom of information in Vietnam and the challenges faced by independent voices in a tightly controlled digital environment. Such tactics serve to stifle dissent and control the flow of information, effectively limiting public discourse on sensitive issues and raising significant concerns about digital rights and press freedom.

Keywords

Related Keywords: Vietnamese military troll army, Vietnam Facebook propaganda, Vietnamese online influence operations, Facebook disinformation Vietnam, Vietnam cyber warfare tactics, Vietnamese statesponsored trolling, social media manipulation Vietnam, Vietnamese military information warfare, Facebook troll network Vietnam, Vietnam internet political warfare

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