It is necessary to ensure feasibility, transparency and safety for online citizen reception activities.

During the comment session at Group 16 on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Citizen Reception, delegates highly agreed with the addition of online citizen reception but suggested that it is necessary to ensure feasibility and transparency for this activity.

Many opinions at the Discussion Group expressed concern about Clause 1, Article 1 of the draft Law, which added Article 3a on the form of citizen reception, which regulates direct and online citizen reception. The majority of opinions agreed with the provisions of the draft Law on adding the form of online citizen reception.

Delegate Vuong Thi Huong ( Tuyen Quang delegation) emphasized that this is a step forward in line with the digital transformation trend, creating favorable conditions for people, disadvantaged people, people working or living far from competent authorities to send petitions, feedback, complaints and denunciations without having to travel, contributing to reducing time and costs.

However, in addition to the advantages, delegates said that organizing online citizen reception may potentially contain some notable risks such as: risks of personal information security; risks of identity authentication; risks of electronic data; risks of technical problems...

Delegates discussed at Group 16 on the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Law on Citizen Reception.

"If the online platform is not well protected, it can lead to the disclosure of information of whistleblowers and complainants. Or participants can use fake identities, making it difficult to determine legal responsibility; or the risk of editing, cutting, distorting the content of audio and video recordings, or forging electronic documents... If these issues are not specifically regulated, they will reduce the effectiveness and people's trust in the form of online citizen reception," the delegate said.

To ensure feasibility, transparency, safety and legality for online citizen reception activities, and create a complete legal corridor for this form to be effectively implemented, delegate Vuong Thi Huong proposed that the Drafting Committee add prohibited acts when receiving citizens online to Article 6 of the current Law on Citizen Reception to suit the characteristics of the network environment.

Specifically, the delegates proposed to stipulate prohibited acts including: (1) Impersonating identity, using other people's electronic accounts to participate in citizen reception sessions; (2) Disclosing, sharing information, images, sounds, documents containing complaints, denunciations, and reflections of citizens without permission; (3) Using information and data collected during online citizen reception sessions for purposes not in accordance with the law; (4) Causing disturbance, obstruction, or insulting the honor, reputation, and dignity of the person receiving citizens or the person receiving citizens in the online space.

Sharing the same view with delegate Vuong Thi Huong, delegate Be Minh Duc ( Cao Bang delegation) agreed with the content of adding the form of online citizen reception to the draft Law in the conditions of arranging administrative units according to the two-level local government model. The delegate added that in reality, in the provinces and many communes in mountainous and border areas, transportation is very difficult. Therefore, according to the delegate, "regulations on the form of online citizen reception are necessary".

Delegate Be Minh Duc speaks

In addition, delegate Be Minh Duc also pointed out that, in the context of science and technology, digital transformation is taking place strongly, receiving citizens online and resolving complaints and denunciations through the electronic interconnected data system will create conditions for faster and more convenient resolution for organizations, individuals, people and businesses. At the same time, receiving citizens online will reduce the pressure on citizen reception work at the citizen reception office as in the recent past.

However, delegate Be Minh Duc said that this provision needs to be effectively implemented in practice when the Law comes into effect. The delegate proposed, "The Government and local authorities need to review and evaluate technical infrastructure conditions to ensure smooth connection between citizen reception offices from the central, provincial to commune levels "...

Along with that, delegates also proposed to clearly stipulate the order and procedures for citizens' rights and obligations, and the responsibilities of state agencies in online citizen reception work to make it more suitable.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/can-bao-dam-tinh-kha-thi-minh-bach-an-toan-cho-hoat-dong-tiep-cong-dan-truc-tuyen-20251112115221246.htm