In 2009, I was arrested for the first time after participating in protests against the bauxite mining project in Vietnam’s Central Highlands and speaking out about Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands. Seven years later, I was arrested again and sentenced to ten years in prison for my writings and advocacy on behalf of human rights and freedom of expression. By Nguyễn Ngọc…
Vietnam is accelerating its digital public infrastructure (DPI) roadmap through a new strategic partnership with Estonia. The collaboration focuses on leveraging Estonia’s experience in building secure electronic identity systems and unified data frameworks. It comes as digital identity expertise is increasingly becoming an export as countries deepen partnerships. Vietnam has established national…
An urgent and unannounced regulatory change took effect in Vietnam on June 1, 2026. All companies, representative offices, and organisations registered in Vietnam are now required to access the National Public Service Portal and the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) portal via a Business VNeID. The previous login method using a company e-signature or token has been withdrawn with immediate effect…
Vietnam has signed off on an expansive plan to turn its VNeID digital identity app into a national “super app.” The plans set out a roadmap that stretches from 2026 to 2045 and places the platform at the center of the country’s digital government ambitions. The decision was approved by Deputy Prime Minister Ho Quoc Dung and places VNeID as the future backbone for public services, digital…
Vietnam is moving to fast-track the development of a transparent legal framework to strengthen intellectual property protection and supporting high-tech investment and operations, according to Party General Secretary and President To Lam, during a meeting with Mr. David Zapolsky, Senior Vice President, Chief Global Affairs & Legal Officer at Amazon. Mr. Lam highlighted Vietnam’s strong commitment…
Communist government plans personalized ‘data-driven decision-making based on real-time information’ by 2035 Vietnam has decided to develop its own cloud platform, so its government agencies can stop using foreign-owned services. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung last week announced the plan in Decision 808/QD-TTg, which lists 20 strategic technologies Vietnam wants to develop to improve its…
Hanoi hopes semiconductor manufacturing will unlock the next opportunity in its economic rise. With an ambitious goal to enter the middle-income bracket by 2030 and to become a developed country by 2045, Vietnam sees innovation and digital transformation as “golden keys” to unlock the doors to its new phase of development. Hanoi has placed a lot of emphasis on its bid to emerge as a global…
Both authoritarian regimes have adapted to the digital age, moving from overt censorship to flooding the space For years, many Western observers believed the internet would inevitably weaken authoritarian regimes. The logic seemed straightforward: once information could flow freely, state monopolies on propaganda would collapse. The internet, in this view, would become a force of democratization.…
Vietnam and South Korea are entering a new phase of business cooperation, with companies from both sides expanding investment and partnerships in AI, semiconductors and digital infrastructure. At the Vietnam-South Korea Economic Forum on April 23 in Hanoi, senior leaders and corporate executives from both countries outlined plans to expand collaboration, from smart manufacturing and AI…
The Trump administration is tossing out strict higher-education requirements for federal tech roles and instead shifting the focus to candidates’ hands-on skills and competencies to do the job.
Pakistan wants $10 billion in IT exports by FY29, but momentum is already declining as uncertain incentives, repatriation limits and uneven ease of doing business plagues the industry. An industry survey conducted by Profit reveals that while IT exports have seen some growth, prospects for growth in the near future might not be too bright.
The post Pakistan’s IT exports are definitely rising,…
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite Internet service is expected to cost around VND2.2 million (US$85) per month in Vietnam, with the required hardware kit priced at around VND9.2 million. Traditional fiber-optic Internet services typically cost only a few hundred thousand dong a month. Authorities said the Starlink pricing is in a proposed business plan and the price would be determined once the company…
Vietnam’s police-owned telecom operator Mobifone is in talks with Chinese tech firms over new contracts to build parts of its 5G network, three people briefed on the plan said, despite U.S. warnings of security risks following earlier deals. The talks precede a planned visit to China by Vietnam’s top leader To Lam in coming weeks, one of the sources said, in a new sign of warming ties between…
A law regulating artificial intelligence went into effect in Vietnam on Sunday, making it the first country in Southeast Asia with a comprehensive framework on the booming technology. Passed by the National Assembly in December, the law focuses on the risks posed by generative AI, requiring human oversight and control along the lines of the European Union’s landmark AI Act. Many nations are…
The IRS lost about 40% of its information technology workforce and nearly 80% of its technology leaders last year — deeper losses than have previously been reported — at a time when the agency lost a quarter of its overall workforce.