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South-east Asia reins in internet freedoms

Tuesday, August 23, 2022

Significance

The decree will take effect on October 1. In Indonesia, Ministerial Regulation 5, requiring social media platforms and other internet entities to register with the government and remove user data at the government’s direction, came into effect on July 30.

Impacts

  • As US-Chinese tensions rise, internet rules will become an increasing point of competition in South-east Asia for the two powers.
  • Western internet companies will lobby their governments to press South-east Asian governments to ease internet restrictions.
  • Internet controls complicate the region’s moves to expand Western trade ties, including via the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF).
  • IPEF talks will affect Vietnam’s trade negotiations, since Hanoi plans to seek early trade concessions from the United States.

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