A police officer questions a person accused of sharing or commenting on anti-state content on social media during an investigation. — Photo courtesy of the police

HCM CITY — Vietnamese police have continued to summon, warn and fine people accused of spreading anti-state content on social media, with authorities in the northern province of Sơn La taking action against more than 50 users in the latest phase of a nationwide enforcement campaign.

Sơn La Province Police said on Saturday that its Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Division had identified multiple social media accounts that commented on or shared content published through pages, channels and online groups linked to convicted anti-state propagandist Lê Trung Khoa.

Authorities invited more than 50 people to work with investigators after reviewing their online activity.

Police said those involved admitted commenting on or sharing information that authorities described as false, distorted and aimed at opposing the State.

Based on the nature and severity of the violations, authorities issued warnings and educational measures to 46 people, while four others were fined a combined total of more than VNĐ30 million (US$1,140).

Police said those involved removed the comments, left the online groups and signed commitments not to repeat the violations.

The latest action follows similar measures taken in several provinces and cities in recent months.

Earlier this month, police in Quảng Ngãi said they had summoned, warned or sanctioned 63 people for interacting with content linked to Khoa.

In June, authorities in Hà Tĩnh summoned and warned 135 people, while police in Đà Nẵng questioned 79 people. Authorities in Huế and Lai Châu also reported taking similar action.

Lê Trung Khoa, 55, a Vietnamese citizen living in Germany, was sentenced in absentia to 15 years in prison by the Hà Nội People's Court in December 2025 under Article 117 of the Penal Code for "making, storing, distributing or disseminating information and materials aimed at opposing the State of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam."

According to the court's verdict, Khoa operated 12 websites, pages and online channels between 2016 and 2025 to publish articles and videos that authorities said distorted information, defamed the government, fabricated information causing public concern and damaged the reputation of Party and State leaders.

Việt Nam has stepped up efforts in recent years to combat what authorities describe as false, distorted and anti-state information disseminated through social media, while urging users to verify information through official sources before sharing it. — VNS