Weeks after moving to limit the type of content its citizens can share online, Vietnam is being tipped to enact further regulation of its tech industry with a ban on messaging apps like Viber, WhatsApp, Line and WeChat.
Reuters reports that the government will “examine” the possibility of banning apps, in a move that would protect mobile operators from ‘losing’ voice and SMS revenue to the free services. One telco official quoted estimated that his firm’s revenue could be cut in half if its 40 million customers all adopted such apps.
This protectionist thinking runs counter to a new approach that many operators are taking by partnering with WhatsApp and its ilk. Special chat app packages are seen as a middle ground to encourage customers onto mobile data plans, whilst generating some revenue and developing a competitive advantage — not in Vietnam, it seems.
➤ Vietnam Examines Policy on Chat Apps, Ban Possible [Reuters] | Via Tech In Asia
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