Vietnamese MOUT Drafting a law on social network restriction

Draft law on social network restriction

The Ministry of Information and Communications (MOIT) has just submitted to the Government a draft and consulted to amend decrees on management of Internet services.

The draft proposes to add more responsibilities of cross-border social networks in Vietnam (typically Facebook, YouTube). These cross-border social networks have not fully complied with the provisions of Vietnamese law.

Lots of content on social network violates the law, spreads fake news, causes social instability and frustration in society, and also causes inequality with domestic and foreign businesses.

The draft states that within 24 hours after receiving a user’s complaint, foreign organizations and individuals providing information across the border must handle it. If the complaint is legitimate, it must temporarily lock or delete the complained content that affects the legitimate rights and interests of the organization or individual.

In addition, cross-border social networks are only allowed to provide livestream features and revenue-generating services in any form for accounts, community pages, and content channels in Vietnam that have notified contact information with the MOIT. If the streaming content is infringing, organizations or individuals operating across borders must block and remove within 3 hours at the latest from the request of MOIT.

According to the proposal of the MOIT, channels or accounts in Vietnam with 10,000 followers or subscribers or more registered users must notify and provide contact information to the MOIT

Websites or applications providing content services with 100,000 regular visitors per month must notify/confirm their activity notices with the Ministry and coordinate in handling infringing information according to procedures.