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Thursday, February 13, 2025
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Government Assures No Social Media Shutdown After Panic Over Foreign Internet Restrictions

This Week

The Ministry of Technology and Communications has released a clarification following widespread panic among Lao citizens about the potential shutdown of social media platforms in the country.

On 12 February, the government explained that the original notice aimed to reduce the use of foreign internet connections to fight cybercrime and scams, not to ban social media.

That followed a 6-February notice instructing telecom operators, companies, and organizations to cut foreign internet connections in order to comply with Lao law.

The notice quickly sparked concerns on social media, especially after several unofficial Facebook pages shared it, suggesting that Laos might impose internet censorship like China’s.

In response, the Ministry of Technology and Communications assured the public that social media platforms like Facebook or YouTube will continue to operate normally. The government explained that Laos already controls internet servers through a “gateway” system, meaning all internet data passes through a central government-controlled system before reaching users.

The ministry emphasized that the notice was primarily intended to prevent illegal activities, such as unauthorized internet connections that could enable unlawful call centers to operate undetected.

A ministry employee, speaking anonymously due to security reasons, confirmed that the government has no plans to shut down any apps.

“We are only trying to combat illegal call centers and strengthen cybersecurity,” they said, 

“We simply cannot do what China does as doing so would have a major economic impact, and we are not in a position to implement such measures.”

According to the United States Department of State, the Lao government monitors domestic internet servers and online activity to some extent. Infrastructure improvements have strengthened monitoring and content restrictions, but enforcement is still limited..

The National Internet Committee, under the Prime Minister’s Office, requires internet service providers to submit reports and link their systems to facilitate oversight. However, as of the latest updates, authorities have not fully utilized these capabilities.

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