Strengthening solutions to protect children online

On April 22, 2024, in Hanoi, the Ministry of Public Security held a conference on Child Protection in the Online Environment. Senior Lieutenant General Luong Tam Quang, member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of Public Security chaired the conference.

Attending the Conference were representatives of units under: Government Office , Supreme People's Procuracy, Supreme People's Court, Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs, Ministry of Information and Communications, Ministry of Education and Training, Ministry of Justice, Central Committee of Vietnam Fatherland Front, Vietnam Women's Union, Central Committee of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, Vietnam Association for Protection of Children's Rights, Information Security Association, National Cyber ​​Security Association, Vietnam Digital Communications Association...

Conference Overview.

The report at the Conference stated: Vietnam has covered 99.7% of villages nationwide with Internet coverage, 3G-4G coverage alone has reached 95% of the population, bringing Vietnam close to the highest level of Internet penetration, equivalent to developed countries. By March 2023, Vietnam had about 24.7 million children, of which about 2/3 of children were accessing and using Internet-connected devices. According to a survey conducted by Google in 2022, the average age of Vietnamese children using mobile phones is 9 years old, while the average age of children in the world using mobile phones and starting to access cyber safety skills is 13 years old. Notably, after the process of adapting to online learning, entertainment and connection activities during the Covid-19 pandemic, the age of children using the Internet in Vietnam tends to decrease to an average of 6-7 years old... Vietnamese children using the Internet early, while not beingeducated and equipped with basic awareness of the dangers of the online environment, is a fundamental reason why children become targets and victims of crimes and illegal acts in the online environment. The Internet has opened up opportunities for accessing information, knowledge, creative learning, self-development, and social connection. However, bad guys and criminals are also taking advantage of the online environment to operate, thus posing many risks to the healthy development of Vietnamese children, including acts of abuse and other dangerous factors that can negatively impact, causing harm to psychology, dignity, and even health and life.

Delegates speaking at the Conference.

From 2021 to 2023, implementing Decision No. 830/QD-TTg dated June 1, 2021 of the Prime Minister on the "Program to protect and support children to interact healthily and creatively in the online environment for the period 2021-2025", the Public Security forces nationwide have synchronously deployed solutions, strengthened measures to prevent, detect, stop, strictly and promptly handle acts of child abuse and handle and prevent dangers to children in the online environment. As a result, the police force nationwide prosecuted 484 cases, 553 defendants for the crimes of "Crime of sexual intercourse or other sexual acts with a person from 13 years old to under 16 years old", "Crime of rape of a person from 13 years old to under 16 years old", "Crime of indecent assault with a person under 16 years old", "Crime of using a person under 16 years old for pornographic purposes", "Crime of trafficking in persons under 16 years old", "Crime of disseminating obscene cultural products"... Administratively sanctioned 28 cases, 49 subjects for violations of the acts of collecting, using, publishing, disclosing information about the private life and personal secrets of children; providing and sharing information about school violence, information insulting the honor and dignity of children; posting obscene, depraved information, contrary to good customs. Coordinated with families and schools to remind, educate, and deter 76 cases with 163 cases of sharing information about school violence, insulting the honor and dignity of children... In addition, the police force handled 779 subjects and individuals who committed acts of violating children's rights, causing harm to children in the online environment, of which 144 cases were under 16 years old, 153 cases were students.

Deputy Minister Luong Tam Quang gave a speech at the Conference.

In addition to fighting crime and handling violations of the law, the police force has also carried out effective propaganda, prevention and suppression of harmful information for children. It has blocked 30,000 websites with illegal content, obscene content, online gambling, fraud, violence, harmful content for children, information about children being sexually abused, insulting honor and dignity; disabled tens of thousands of links with harmful content, violating the law... At the Conference, delegates focused on discussing and evaluating the situation and results of child protection work in the online environment; clarified difficulties and obstacles in the implementation process, thereby proposing solutions and measures to improve the effectiveness of crime prevention and control and child protection in the online environment in the coming time. Concluding the Conference, Deputy Minister Luong Tam Quang emphasized that the Party and State always attach special importance to and pay attention to leading and directing the work of protecting, caring for and educating children. Thoroughly grasping and seriously and effectively implementing the Party's viewpoints and policies, the State's policies and laws, the Public Security force has closely coordinated with departments, ministries, branches and organizations from the central to local levels, achieving many important results in the work of protecting children in cyberspace. The results of all aspects of child protection work in the cyber environment have contributed to ensuring security and order, minimizing, gradually preventing and repelling risks and challenges to the safe and healthy development of children - the future owners of the country. On behalf of the Central Public Security Party Committee and the leaders of the Ministry of Public Security, Deputy Minister Luong Tam Quang acknowledged and commended the achievements and results of the Public Security of units and localities; highly appreciated the regular and close coordination of ministries, branches, socio-political organizations, enterprises, associations with the police force in implementing Decision No. 830 of the Prime Minister in the past time; hoped to continue to receive coordination, support and assistance in the coming time.

Deputy Minister Luong Tam Quang with delegates attending the Conference.

The Deputy Minister of Public Security suggested that departments, ministries, branches, socio-political organizations, associations and enterprises should unify their awareness of the role and importance of child protection in the online environment, as part of ensuring human security, contributing significantly to building and forming a future generation of digital citizens with the capacity to build, develop and protect the country in the digital age. Consider this work and responsibility as the responsibility of parents for their own children. From there, there should be high determination, great efforts, drastic actions, promoting responsibility, concentration and regular, close multi-dimensional cooperation in concretizing and organizing effective implementation of tasks and solutions to protect children in the online environment, first of all, coordinating to seriously and effectively implement the law on network security, information security, and Decision No. 830 of the Prime Minister. Quickly overcome the limitations pointed out at the Conference, focusing on promoting 02 goals: Building and maintaining a safe and healthy network environment and Education, forming a future generation of digital citizens who are ethical, responsible, law-abiding, capable of participating and being promoted to develop in the network environment. Deputy Minister Luong Tam Quang requested the Public Security of units and localities to resolutely implement tasks and solutions, ensure network security laws, promote all aspects of child prevention and protection, prevent and repel bad and toxic information, and proactively prepare conditions to best ensure requirements for verification and tracing of child abusers in the network environment; improve friendly investigation skills; strengthen international cooperation, take advantage of experience, technology, training, and improve capacity for functional forces in child protection in the network environment...

Quang Minh - Ministry of Public Security Portal

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