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Vietnam Orders Block on Telegram Over Crime, Anti-State Content Allegations

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Vietnam’s Ministry of Information and Communications has instructed telecommunication providers to block access to the Telegram messaging app, citing the platform’s alleged failure to cooperate in investigations into criminal activity and anti-state operations.

The directive, dated May 21 and signed by the deputy head of the telecom department, mandates Vietnamese telecom operators to “deploy solutions and measures to prevent Telegram’s activities” and report progress by June 2.

Authorities claim that 68% of the 9,600 Telegram channels and groups active in Vietnam have violated national laws, pointing to incidents of fraud, drug trafficking, and suspected terrorism-related content. Officials also accused Telegram of refusing to share user data when requested as part of ongoing criminal probes.

Telegram Responds

Telegram, which has close to 1 billion global users, expressed surprise at the allegations. A company spokesperson told Reuters:

“We have responded to legal requests from Vietnam on time… We received a formal notice this morning regarding a standard service notification procedure under new telecom regulations. The deadline for our response is May 27, and we are processing the request.”

Despite the government’s order, Telegram remained accessible in Vietnam as of Friday.

Crackdown on Online Content

Vietnam’s ruling Communist Party, known for its tight grip on media and limited tolerance for dissent, has stepped up demands on global tech firms to cooperate with state censorship policies. The country has previously pressured platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Google, and TikTok to remove content deemed “toxic” or “anti-state.”

The government’s document also accused Telegram of enabling opposition groups to organize and spread anti-government propaganda, with “many groups with tens of thousands of participants” allegedly created by what it called “reactionary subjects.”

Broader Context

Telegram has faced scrutiny globally for its perceived lack of content moderation. In France, founder Pavel Durov was briefly detained last year amid similar concerns over security and data transparency.

The timing of Vietnam’s move also comes ahead of an official visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Hanoi on Sunday, potentially adding diplomatic nuance to the unfolding situation.

Microsoft Takes Legal Action Against Lumma Stealer Malware Infecting 400,000 Devices

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Microsoft has filed a legal action to disrupt the operations of Lumma Stealer, an advanced piece of information-stealing malware that has infected nearly 400,000 Windows computers worldwide over the past two months, the company said Wednesday.

The action was led by Microsoft’s Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) and involved a court order from the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, enabling the takedown, suspension, and blocking of malicious domains that formed the malware’s core infrastructure.

“The growth and resilience of Lumma Stealer highlight the broader evolution of cybercrime and underscore the need for layered defenses and industry collaboration,” Microsoft said in a blog post.

Malware Capabilities

Lumma Stealer targets a wide range of sensitive user data:

  • Extracts information from web browsers, including saved passwords

  • Harvests credentials from cryptocurrency wallets

  • Installs additional malware on compromised systems

It operates as part of a larger cybercrime-as-a-service network, offering malicious tools to third parties for use in data theft and system compromise.

Federal Action and Domain Seizures

In parallel to Microsoft’s civil action:

  • The U.S. Department of Justice announced the seizure of five internet domains tied to the LummaC2 malware infrastructure

  • The FBI’s Dallas Field Office is leading the ongoing criminal investigation

These efforts aim to disrupt the malware’s operations and prevent further infections globally.

Broader Implications

The Lumma Stealer case highlights growing concerns over modular, stealthy malware strains designed to:

  • Evade detection

  • Monetize stolen data

  • Enable subsequent attacks

Microsoft emphasized the need for:

  • Layered cybersecurity defenses

  • Cross-industry cooperation

  • Judicial interventions to combat evolving digital threats

This case adds to a growing list of Microsoft-led legal and technical takedowns aimed at dismantling global cybercrime infrastructure, including recent actions against Storm botnets and ransomware operators.

Bell Canada Restores Internet Service After Two-Hour Outage in Quebec and Ontario

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Bell Canada announced on Wednesday that it has fully restored internet services after a technical update issue caused a significant two-hour outage affecting tens of thousands of users in Quebec and Ontario.

The disruption, which began around 9:00 a.m. ET, peaked with more than 130,000 disruption reports, according to real-time outage tracker Downdetector.com. Bell confirmed that service had been completely restored by 11:00 a.m. ET.

“We want to assure our customers and partners that this was a technical issue and we have ruled out a cybersecurity incident as the root cause,” Bell said in an emailed statement.

Cause and Response

The outage stemmed from a software update that affected some of Bell’s router infrastructure. The company responded by rolling back the update, which resolved the issue.

Bell, a unit of BCE Inc., said its network teams are conducting a full review to prevent future disruptions.

Customer Impact and Instructions

Bell serves approximately 4.4 million high-speed internet subscribers, as noted in its latest quarterly report. The full scale of the outage remains unclear, but many users in eastern Canada reported service disruptions throughout the morning.

For customers still experiencing issues, Bell advised a modem reboot via a notice on its Facebook page.