August 24, 2026
Contact: Dr. Suzie Xuyen Dong | +1 (346) 704-4744
On August 22, 2026, Facebook users in Vietnam found themselves unable to access several pages operated by Vietnamese opposition groups, independent media outlets, and activists abroad. The geo-blocked pages include Viet Tan, Thoibao.de, Nguyen Van Dai, Hue Nhu, and Chan Troi Moi Media.
The timing of this new wave of censorship is highly significant. Over the past two weeks, these pages have published widely shared posts about the death of 18-year old Mina, who was hit by a car driven by a former National Assembly member. This case has generated intense outpouring of grief for the high school student, particularly among Vietnam’s Gen Z, who have gathered at the tree where Nguyen Sy Cuong’s BMW struck her, and who have flooded social media with tributes and calls for accountability.
Screenshot from FB page Hue Nhu’s perspective on Vietnamese politics. This video received over 1 million views.
Post by Le Trung Khoa on Nguyen Sy Cuong with approximately 250,000 views.
Post by Viet Tan on Nguyen Sy Cuong with 1.2 million views.
This post by Nguyen Van Dai reached 1.4 million views
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, along with the Ministry of Public Security, has requested the removal or restriction of numerous posts, articles, and comments discussing the #nguyensycuong scandal.
The censorship extends beyond Facebook. Content on Threads, where much of the discussion around the ‘Tree of Justice’ is taking place, has also been restricted. This suggests that the Vietnamese authorities’ efforts are not limited to individual pages or isolated pieces of content, but form part of a broader attempt to control online discussion across Meta’s platforms.
The Ministry of Culture is headed by Lam Thi Phuong Thanh, the wife of Nguyen Sy Cuong. The involvement of a government ministry headed by the spouse of a person at the centre of an alleged coverup raises serious questions about conflicts of interest, impartiality, and the legitimacy of the censorship measures.
The authorities are not targeting only major opposition or independent media pages. Ordinary Vietnamese social media users are also being censored. Numerous users have reported that their Facebook and Threads posts, comments, and other content offering support for Mina and calling for accountability were removed following requests from the Ministry.
This is the second time, following the mass blocking in December 2025 and into March 2026 (before and after the 14th Congress of the Vietnamese Communist Party) that Hanoi has pressured Meta to geo-block Facebook pages in Vietnam. The communist government is using every means at its disposal to silence independent voices and public debate.
The international community and technology companies must not allow authoritarian governments to turn social media into another tool of censorship and repression. When the ministry ordering the removal of content about a hit-and-run is headed by the driver’s spouse, the censorship is not just political — it is personal. This is not platform safety or upholding local laws. This is a government silencing accountability for its own.
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Pdf version: Viet Tan 24-08-2026 – Hanoi Censors ‘Tree of Justice’ Outrage Online.
