> Why would a government care

Viet Nam is in the process of rolling out mandatory biometric identification and verification as part of the VNeID project [0], and mobile operators are in the process of rolling out identity stamping if mobile devices using VNeID [1]

Viet Nam is also an authoritarian state who's current leader (To Lam) spent his entire career in Viet Nam's KGB (MPS/BCA). Unlike Westerners, Vietnamese know the red lines - this is why I and my SO (much to her chagrin due to my insistence) never travel back to VN with my personal accounts or devices, and why we keep some friends of friends on speed dial.

[0] - https://vneid.gov.vn/

[1] - https://vtv.vn/nha-mang-ho-tro-kich-hoat-sim-truc-tuyen-bang...

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karel-3d a day ago | parent [-]

I am not sure what you are saying with respect to red lines.

Vietnamese government will not arrest a tourist foreigner for talking bad about the party or about Ho Chi Minh, it would decimate their tourist bottom line. If you don't deal with drugs or actively don't organise against the party, you will be fine.

There is a growing surveillance (which you cited well) but mostly for locals.

edit: oh I misread, you are Viet Kieu, not a western tourist. OK yeah that makes some sense.

	▲	alephnerd a day ago \| parent [-]
		Yep! Tourists are excluded. Also, my SO is Viet turned Viet Kieu (not me), but we have significant familial and business ties in VN.