Some new regulations on management of domestic websites and social networks

Regulations on licensing of operations

Only licensed social networks are allowed to provide livestreaming/revenue generating activities; however, low traffic social networks may request regulatory licensing to provide these services.

The Ministry of Information and Communications will attach tools to manage information on the General News Website and measure traffic to the announced/licensed Social Network.

In addition, the Ministry will compile statistics and issue written notices to social networks with large traffic levels to carry out social network licensing procedures according to the provisions of this Decree.

General news websites and social networks will be sent a licensed identification code by the licensing authority to be attached to the website/application on the application stores and linked to the licensing authority's licensing data.

Multi-service digital platforms, when operating social networks or other specialized services, must comply with the provisions of this Decree on social network management and specialized legal regulations.

Regulations to limit the situation of "newspaperization" of general information websites and social networks

General electronic information pages may only post 1 hour later than the original news; take news sources from at least 3 press agencies; General electronic information pages linked to electronic newspapers may only be produced in certain fields; Electronic newspapers must be responsible for the content of the links; the ratio of linked news articles must not exceed 50% of the total number of news and articles of the press agency in 1 month; do not use domain names or page names that cause confusion with the press; do not allow users to comment on news articles on general electronic information pages; social networks must not arrange members' articles into fixed categories; do not post or write articles in the form of reports, investigations, interviews and post them on social networks; for organizations and enterprises that are not press agencies, the string of characters that make up the domain name must not be similar or identical to the name of the press agency, and do not use words that can cause confusion with the press agency.

On user responsibility

Information is protected according to the provisions of law; Be responsible for the content provided, stored, transmitted, and shared on the network; Comply with specialized legal regulations when providing specialized services on social networks; comply with tax and payment regulations when conducting business activities and generating revenue;

Channel/account/community group/community page (fanpage) owners on social networks in Vietnam have the rights and responsibilities: To register to participate in training courses, disseminate legal regulations of the Ministry of Information and Communications and be recommended for advertising selection. To manage the content posted on their channels and accounts (including user comments). Do not name channels/accounts/community groups/community pages similar to or identical to press agencies or cause confusion with press agencies. To be responsible for temporarily locking and removing information that violates or affects the rights of other organizations and individuals within 48 hours of a request from a social network user or within 24 hours of a request from a competent state management agency; Not to take advantage of the production of content in the form of reports, investigations, and press interviews; When livestreaming, it is necessary to comply with the provisions of this Decree and specialized regulations.

When establishing a content channel/account/community group/community page (fanpage), a press agency must: Notify the Ministry of Information and Communications within 10 days. Be responsible for the information provided according to the provisions of the Press Law and strictly comply with the objectives and purposes in the granted License.

Sanctions

Supplementing sanctions to handle websites and social networks that violate the provisions of this Decree, from suspending operations for 03 months to revoking licenses, suspending operations, and implementing necessary technical measures to prevent violating news sites.

Suspend operations for 3 months in the following cases: General news websites/social networks that violate content twice; Failure to comply with the responsibilities of service providers and failure to meet operating conditions as prescribed; Failure to carry out procedures to request a social network license within 60 days from the date of the Ministry of Information and Communications' written notice.

License revocation in the following cases: Failure to block and remove content as requested by the management agency; Failure to take corrective measures after a 3-month suspension period; Organizations and businesses that have issued written notices of cessation of operations/not providing services after a 12-month period.

Implement technical measures to prevent in the following cases: Failure to block and remove content as requested by the Ministry of Information and Communications; State management agencies cannot be contacted to request the removal of illegal content; Failure to stop or terminate operations as requested by state management agencies.

Decree No. 147/2024/ND-CP marks an important step forward in the management of general electronic information platforms and social networks in Vietnam. The regulations are aimed at protecting users' rights, protecting personal information, and maintaining a transparent and healthy online information environment. Requirements on licensing, supervision, and strict sanctions will help prevent violations, ensuring stability and safety in cyberspace./.

Source: https://mic.gov.vn/mot-so-quy-dinh-moi-ve-quan-ly-trang-thong-tin-dien-tu-va-mang-xa-hoi-trong-nuoc-197241224215133638.htm