The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) introduced a code of conduct on social networks to create a safe online environment. The new regulations address organisations and individuals that use social networks and social network service providers in Vietnam. It is designed to ensure civil liberty and freedom to run businesses and prevent discrimination between domestic and foreign service providers. This is in line with international standards, practices, and treaties to which Vietnam is a signatory.
According to a press release, the code of conduct encourages organisations and individuals to share information from official and reliable sources and behave in ways that match Vietnam’s “traditional moral and cultural values”. The document also requires organisations and individuals not to use words that incite hatred or trigger violence and gender and religious discrimination. Not to publish content that violates legal regulations and information defaming others, not to spread fake news and untrue information, and not to conduct illegal advertising.
Users should use their real name when registering for social networks and register with the service provider to certify their names, website addresses, and contacts. The code of conduct on social networks only offers recommendations, and individuals and organisations committing violations will be punished in line with the law, according to Do Quy Vu, the Deputy Director of the National Institute of Information and Communications Strategy under MIC.
In an interview, after the code of conduct was issued by the MIC, Vu noted that punishments for illegal violations on social networks have been prescribed in Vietnam’s laws. The code of conduct gathers rules on behaviours, moral, and cultural standards on social networks, which are recommended for individuals, organisations, and social network service providers. It targets three major groups, including social network users; officials, cadres, and employees in state agencies; and social network service providers.
Earlier this month, the Prime Minister approved an e-government development strategy towards the digital government in the 2021-2025 period, with a vision to 2030. This is the first time that Vietnam has issued a strategy on developing the e-government, as OpenGov Asia had reported. The strategy outlines several tasks, including operating specialised network infrastructure securely, connecting four administrative levels from central to commune level, and building a government cloud computing platform. The government will develop the National Data Exchange Platform and application platforms on mobile devices for all e-government and digital government services.
Further, the government will complete the National Public Service Portal, build the National Data Portal, and build a platform for working and collaborating on the digital environment and a virtual assistant platform. The strategy will develop and complete the government reporting information system, the National Document Communication Axis, and the national bidding network system. Further, it will build a system to analyse and process big data that will ensure national cybersecurity. It will also build a support system to coordinate and respond to cybersecurity incidents. It will develop and perfect the government’s specialised digital signature authentication system.
The strategy also outlines the roles and responsibilities of ministries, industries, and local governments in leveraging digital technologies like cloud computing, big data, mobility, the Internet of things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain. The release said that the strategy will create a breakthrough in the development of e-government, contributing to the successful implementation of Vietnam’s digital transformation goals, which are based on three pillars: a digital government, economy, and society.
