(VOVworld)-The explosion of social media has enabled people to access and share information much faster. But the rapid development of information technology also poses grave challenges to information managers.

Fake news websites under the names of Vietnamese leaders and distorted information on the internet have become more common in Vietnam in recent years. This disinformation, mostly originating from foreign social networks, is problematic.

Information transparency

The development of social media is irreversible. There are 45 million Facebook users in Vietnam, one of the biggest Facebook totals in the world. Vietnam is also one of the ten countries with the most YouTube users. It’s difficult to control harmful information on social media it is often beyond the jurisdiction of Vietnamese law. In 2016, the Ministry of Information and Communications issued a circular detailing cross-border distribution of public information. The circular requires that foreign entities providing public information to users in Vietnam observe Vietnamese regulations and laws and cooperate with Vietnamese authorities in addressing violations. It also requires streamingmedia to provide timely and accurate information, because information transparency is the most important means of countering disinformation.

A Q&A session between lawmakers and cabinet members on information management (Source: VNA)

The Ministry of Information and Communications has demanded that Google and Facebook observe Vietnamese law and remove more than 1,300 harmful videos. It asked Google to establish a mechanism to remove or block illegal information on other platforms that use Google systems and will ask Facebook to remove fake accounts using the names of Vietnamese leaders. Domestic businesses are encouraged to start social networks that can compete with or replace Facebook.   

Improving users’ awareness of cyber security

Sophisticated cyberattacks have been increasing in both scope and frequency, damaging countries around the world. A survey in 2016 revealed that 73% of Vietnamese agencies and organizations ignore cybersecurity and safety measures.    

The Ministry of Information and Communications has submitted to the Prime Minister a decision on national information safety development planning and a decision on human resource development in this domain until 2020. It has developed a system to handle cyberattacks, a national cyber safety technical center, and guidelines for Ministries and local administrations.