The map used in Grab services have now correctly displayed Việt Nam's islands. — Photo vov.vn

HÀ NỘI — Grab Việt Nam has been handed an administrative fine of VNĐ60 million (US$2,560) by HCM City's authorities following its use of maps that show inaccurate information about Vietnamese island sovereignty.

HCM City's Department of Information and Communications said on Friday that they had a working session with the ride-hailing service company on last week's incident, where users noticed map displays Việt Nam's Hoàng Sa and Trường Sa islands using Chinese and English names, with some parts of the archipelagoes even listed as belonging to Chinese administrative units.

The Ministry of Information and Technology's Department of Cyber ​​Security and Hi-tech Crime Prevention, in coordination with the HCM City's information department, decided to fine Grab for 'providing information and images that violate national sovereignty'.

Grab has admitted to the offence, realised the severity of the mistake, and said it is working on the matter with the third-party provider of the map service, OpenStreetMap, that is being used in Grab's services.

The HCM City's department also asked Grab to commit to deploying necessary measures to prevent such incidents in the future and comply with Vietnamese laws in doing business.

As of April 14, the islands are correctly named on the Grab app. — VNS