Ministries to conduct inspection of TikTok operation in Vietnam from May 15

The Ministry of Information and Communications will conduct a comprehensive inspection of TikTok activities in Vietnam from May 15 until the end of this month.
At the press conference on May 5 (Photo: SGGP)

At the press conference on May 5 (Photo: SGGP)

Speaking at a press conference in Hanoi on May 5, head of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications, Le Quang Tu Do said that the Ministry of Information and Communications sent a document requiring relevant ministries and agencies to assign their representatives to participate in the inspection.

At a monthly conference in April, the Ministry of Information and Communications announced that the social media app’s activities violated Vietnamese law.

Accordingly, TikTok does not have effective measures to control infringing contents and false news that is toxic, against the Politics, Party, and State, even causing harmful effects on children; online trade in illicit goods and services of counterfeit products, aphrodisiac drugs, fake or unknown origin dietary supplement products.

The video-sharing app uses the algorithm to automatically distribute and promote videos with inaccurate, misleading, or false content that may cause significant harm to the community and young people, to create viral sensations, he stressed.

Head of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications, Le Quang Tu Do speaks at the meeting. (Photo: SGGP)

Head of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Information and Communications, Le Quang Tu Do speaks at the meeting. (Photo: SGGP)

The platform also does not have measures to prevent copyright infringement, control and manage activities of TikTok users and let them create short videos with impolite and rubbishy content, and use private photos or videos without permission to spread fake news and insult the pictures’ owners on social platforms.

TikTok creates a favorable environment for the spreading of misinformation online, causing financial loss and rising social instability. The platform has encouraged young people to imitate and follow negative and objectionable trends, distorting their perception and lifestyle as well as illegal business activities.

Vietnam currently ranks sixth on the list of 10 countries with the biggest number of TikTok users, according to research company DataReportal.

The statistics said that as of February, there are about 49.9 million Vietnamese TikTok users

In its recent report in the fourth quarter of 2022, TikTok said it focuses efforts to identify and remove violate content as swiftly as possible, such as prioritizing the fastest removal of highly egregious content, such as child sexual abuse material and violent extremism, minimizing overall views of content that violate community guidelines and ensuring accuracy, consistency, and fairness for creators.

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