Vietnam: Issued Official Letter No. 667/BTTTT-VP concerning the removal of content

On 1 March 2023, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) published Official Letter No. 667/BTTTT-VP. The MIC stated that they intensified the monitoring of online content, with a particular focus on foreign social networks such as Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. This enhanced monitoring is aimed at identifying violations and addressing them promptly. Furthermore, the establishment of direct functional units with a focus on post-monitoring and online scans has been implemented. The MIC has established the National Cyber Safety Monitoring Center and the Vietnam Anti-Fake News Center (VAFC) with the objective of actively monitoring, detecting, and handling fake news and malicious information. The aforementioned centers are equipped with the necessary resources to receive complaints about fake news, verify information, and clarify false news. From 2021 to December 2022, the functional units examined 141 cases, issued 589 administrative sanctions for violations of electronic information activities, and imposed a total fine of VND 5’999’150’000. In 2022, Facebook removed over 2’751 articles, Google took down 7’935 videos on YouTube, and TikTok eliminated 329 videos, all for posting false or harmful content under Vietnamese Law.