Facebook supports Vietnam’s digital transformation in first-ever program

The Hanoitimes – The program is designed exclusively for Vietnam amid a rise in Facebook users in the country.

The "Facebook for Vietnam" program that puts existing and newly created programs in Vietnam under one hashtag is a way that the world’s largest social media platform has launched to assist the digital transformation in the Southeast Asian country.

Daniel Kritenbrink, US Ambassador to Vietnam. Photo: Facebook Vietnam

In partnership with the US Mission to Vietnam partners, this program is part of activities to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Vietnam-US relations.

To be launched from May to December 2020, the campaign with the hashtag #fb4vn is a first-of-its-kind comprehensive program designed exclusively for Vietnam.

The program includes five pillars namely Innovation, Safety and Digital Literacy, Community, Cities, and Digital Economy.

#fb4Innovation covers start-up supporting initiatives, programmers, and innovation-driven campaigns.

#fb4Safety and Digital Literacy focuses on safety on social networks, including protective measures for women and children, prevention of child abuse, and digital skills equipped for youth.

#fb4Community includes initiatives to bring people together and use technology for good.

#fb4Cities supports localities in their efforts to build e-government and smart cities through coordinated programs in various fields.

#fb4Economy contributes to the business community, mostly small- and medium-sized enterprises, and promote tourism and education in Vietnam after Covid-19.

Number of Facebook users in Vietnam from 2017 to 2023. Source: Statista

"As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations this year, the "Facebook for Vietnam" campaign, which further expands Facebook's socio-economic development projects throughout the country, demonstrates both Facebook's and the United States' long-term commitment to the prosperity of Vietnam," said Daniel Kritenbrink, US ambassador to Vietnam.

Nguyen Anh Nguyet, Facebook's Vietnam Public Policy Director, said Vietnam, with a digital economy that is growing at a remarkable pace, is an important market for Facebook.

With this campaign, Facebook wants to work more closely with the government, partners, non-profit organizations, and others to help Vietnam quickly recover from the global health crisis while creating opportunities for people to build digital literacy skills, helping businesses grow and creating jobs in the digital economy, she said.

In recent years, Facebook has collaborated with different partners in Vietnam to implement projects that help boost the nation's socio-economic growth. Such projects include #SheMeansBusiness & "Facebook Community Boost" that provided training and consultation for more than 10,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, including 6,500 businesswomen. In 2019, the "We Think Digital" program offered digital skills training to 244,813 secondary schoolchildren and 1,277 teachers in 13 provinces and cities across Vietnam.

Vietnam is among top 10 countries having the largest Facebook using community, with 47.1 million users.