National Assembly delegates propose that digital platforms must pay the press if they quote information.

Many non-press news sites are exploiting official press content for free. Therefore, delegate Trinh Thi Tu Anh (Lam Dong delegation) proposed to build a revenue sharing mechanism between large digital platforms and press agencies to ensure fairness.

Vietnamese press suffers from inequality right on the sovereign field

On the afternoon of November 24, giving comments on the draft Law on Press (amended), delegate Trinh Thi Tu Anh ( Lam Dong delegation) mentioned the situation where many information sites are not press agencies but often quote and repost content from mainstream press and then change the title, cut and paste, and even distort information to attract views and earn advertising money.

"The free exploitation of in-depth analysis and costly investigations has devalued original content and eroded the revenue of editorial offices - the vital factor of professional journalism," said the female delegate from Lam Dong province.

On the afternoon of November 24, the National Assembly discussed the draft Press Law (amended) in the hall.

According to Ms. Trinh Thi Tu Anh, the algorithms on digital platforms today prioritize sensational, clickbait, and emotional content, which pushes down accurate and balanced journalism. Advertising revenue and readership are therefore diverted to clickbait channels, while the press agencies responsible for producing the content are at a disadvantage. "This erodes the resources to maintain professional journalism," Ms. Tu Anh said.

Based on that reality, the female delegate proposed to add regulations on "related rights" of press agencies in cyberspace; at the same time, assign the Government to study the mechanism for negotiating and sharing revenue of large digital platforms with press agencies according to the models of the EU, Australia, Canada... to create fairness in the information market.

Regarding press activities in cyberspace, delegate Le Thi Thu Ha (Lao Cai province) said that this is considered important content and has a direct impact on national digital sovereignty. However, the delegate found that the draft is approaching with traditional thinking, while cross-border platforms have changed the entire information distribution structure.

In fact, these platforms use press content to make profits, manipulate algorithms, distribute information, automatically synthesize, program and excerpt news without permission, without sharing profits, and without taking legal responsibility. At the same time, they do not remove false news at the request of competent authorities.

Delegate Le Thi Thu Ha (Lao Cai province) spoke

Therefore, the female delegate believes that if the Press Law does not set out minimum legal obligations, the Vietnamese press will forever be in an unequal position right on its own sovereign ground.

Accordingly, she proposed adding three groups of mandatory obligations for cross-border platforms. These include the obligation to share revenue, protect the investment value of the press, and the obligation to remove illegal content.

Creating a corridor for the press to become the nation's soft power

Delegate Pham Trong Nhan (HCMC delegation) said that in reality, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube are becoming information distribution channels with extremely large influence, far surpassing the traditional model and having a significant influence on the public's information reception behavior.

From there, the delegation of Ho Chi Minh City proposed that the Press Law must set out the obligation of algorithmic transparency, the obligation of early warning, the obligation to coordinate in handling false information and the obligation to ensure priority for official information.

This delegate analyzed that the Press Law (amended) comes at a time when the global information space has changed fundamentally under the impact of artificial intelligence. The speed of data transmission far exceeds the speed of human verification and information becomes a new form of power, even a new weapon.

Delegate Pham Trong Nhan (HCMC delegation)

What is happening in the world from fake images of leaders, election manipulation, social psychological attacks, and fake clips and images from AI spreading on social networks during the recent flood, according to Mr. Pham Trong Nhan, has caused anxiety in the community.

It is one of the examples showing that the information space has become the new sovereign space of the nation - and in that space, the press is the "frontline force".

"In the AI ​​era, attacking the media is attacking national security. Today's press is not just a means of reporting news but a cognitive shield, a mental firewall, an institution to protect the Party's ideological foundation and the country's sovereignty against cross-border information waves," Mr. Pham Trong Nhan emphasized.

According to him, without a strong, accurate press capable of using AI, toxic information will overwhelm mainstream information, algorithms will lead instead of truth, and information sovereignty will be violated in everyday life.

Therefore, the draft Law on Press (amended) must create a corridor for the press to become the nation's soft power in the fight to protect ideology in cyberspace.

"When machines can create images, create voices, and write articles in just a few seconds, this law must become a legal barrier, an ethical barrier, and a technical barrier to protect the truth," Mr. Nhan stated his opinion, saying that amending the law this time is not only for the development of the press industry but also for national safety and social stability.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/dai-bieu-quoc-hoi-de-nghi-nen-tang-so-phai-tra-phi-cho-bao-chi-neu-trich-dan-thong-tin-20251124184649559.htm