Multi-faceted approach applied in HCMC to combat online misinformation

HCMC has lately achieved notable success in countering harmful and hostile viewpoints, thanks to the effective coordination among localities, state agencies and units.

Deputy Head Trinh Minh Tai of the Propaganda and Education Board under the Thu Duc City Party Committee shared that upon discovering the fake page impersonating the official page of the Thu Duc City People's Committee, the City Party Committee and People's Committee, in collaboration with relevant forces, took immediate action to have it removed. Within a day, the fake page was no longer accessible.

He emphasized that Thu Duc City places great importance on combating fake news and misinformation, and this commitment is consistently communicated to city officials. The emergence of fake pages poses a significant risk of disseminating false information on a large scale.

Notably, during the time of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's passing, while the nation was mourning his loss, there were instances of individuals using social media platforms to spread distorted, fabricated, and malicious information, undermining national unity.

The HCMC Public Security Department promptly investigated and addressed these incidents, while the municipal Information and Communications Department provided accurate information to the media to refute those fake news pieces. As a result, the public was well-informed and not misled by false information.

According to Director Lam Dinh Thang of the HCMC Department of Information and Communications, since the beginning of this year, the department, in collaboration with the police, has investigated and handled six cases of violations related to the provision of harmful and toxic information online.

Additionally, the department has received and processed 28 cases requested by the police for forensic examination of online information suspected of criminal violations.

In the context of the rapid development of social media and its increasing role as a platform for communication and personal expression, monitoring and understanding online information is of paramount importance.

Deputy Head Tang Huu Phong of the Propaganda and Education Board under the HCMC Party Committee, highlighted the significance of daily monitoring of public opinion to enable the Steering Committee 35 (under the HCMC Party Committee) to stay informed about current trends and provide timely guidance.

District 1 is recognized for its effective implementation of daily public opinion monitoring. For example, when the District 1 Tax Office announced the collection of non-agricultural land tax in several traditional markets, including retroactive collections, local merchants expressed strong discontent on social media.

Aware of this situation, the District 1 Party Committee's Propaganda and Education Board intervened and requested the Tax Office to adjust the timeline, thereby alleviating the merchants' concerns.

“HCMC Social Beat” is also a core task in the work of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of HCMC. Standing Deputy Secretary Truong Minh Tuoc Nguyen of this organization mentioned that the city has nearly 3 million young people who actively engage with social media platforms.

The Youth Union focuses on listening to young people's perspectives on these platforms to identify issues of concern. Based on this input, the Youth Union develops programs and activities to disseminate accurate information and educate young people also via social network platforms.