US Criticizes Vietnam Censorship Law

New law, scheduled to come into effect next month, would ban sharing news stories online

The United States is criticizing a new decree in Vietnam that would outlaw sharing news stories online.

Decree 72, which goes into effect in September, says blogs and social media should only contain personal details and cannot be used to share information on current events.

The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi on Tuesday said Washington is "deeply concerned" at provisions of the law that could prohibit the sharing of certain information online. It said "fundamental freedoms apply online just as they do offline."