A document dated May 21 and signed by the deputy head of the ministry’s telecom department ordered service providers to take action against Telegram and report back by June 2.
The ministry requested telecommunication companies “to deploy solutions and measures to prevent Telegram's activities in Vietnam.”
The move follows reports from law enforcement that 68% of the 9,600 Telegram groups and channels in Vietnam were engaged in illegal activities, including fraud, drug trafficking, and suspected terrorism-related cases.
The decision, the document stated, was made in coordination with the country’s cyber-security department.
A ministry official confirmed to Reuters that the directive is authentic, noting it was prompted by Telegram’s refusal to share user data requested during criminal investigations.
Telegram and the Vietnamese technology ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Vietnamese police and state media have frequently issued warnings about criminal activities, scams, and data breaches linked to Telegram.
Despite the order, Telegram remained accessible in Vietnam as of Friday.
Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party enforces strict media controls and suppresses dissent. Authorities have previously demanded cooperation from platforms like Facebook, Google’s YouTube, and TikTok to remove content deemed “toxic,” including anti-state or false information.
According to the document, Telegram failed to comply with legal obligations requiring social media platforms to monitor, block, or remove unlawful content.
Police reports cited in the document claimed that “many groups with tens of thousands of participants were created by opposition and reactionary subjects spreading anti-government documents.”
Telegram, which has nearly a billion users globally, has faced scrutiny in other countries over security and data concerns. In France, its founder Pavel Durov was briefly detained last year.
The directive comes ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s planned visit to Vietnam beginning Sunday.