A TikTok user in Hà Nội browses the "For You" feed on the application. VNS Photo Khánh Linh

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) will conduct a comprehensive inspection of TikTok's activities in Việt Nam from May 15, given its continuous and regular violations, the ministry announced on Friday.

Lê Quang Tự Do, head of the MIC’s Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, said the probe will last until the end of May.

A dispatch was sent to ministries and sectors requesting them to send personnel to join the inspection team, Do stated, adding that the MIC will have a comprehensive assessment of the impacts and influences of the cross-border platform on the community, especially on young people.

TikTok, along with its Chinese counterpart Douyin, is a short-form video hosting service owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.

Việt Nam has the sixth most TikTok users in the world. In February, about 49.9 million people were using TikTok in Việt Nam, according to DataReportal.

Last month, MIC announced six major violations committed by TikTok in Việt Nam.

First, TikTok failed to handle violations in content related to politics, hostile activities against the Party and Government, fake news, and harmful content.

Second, TikTok used an automated algorithm to create trends and spread content for views, regardless of its offensive content, which hurts the community and youth.

Third, it lacks effective measures to prevent the sale of counterfeit goods, illicit drugs and supplements with unknown origins.

Fourth, this short-form video platform failed to manage the activities of TikTok idols, with many of whom creating inappropriate content to attract viewers’ curiosity. For example, some TikTok idols have recently created unsuitable online challenges, in which the more shocking and offensive the content is, the more gifts or money they receive. TikTok receives 70 per cent of the total revenue from such challenges.

Fifth, non-copyrighted content has been rampant on this platform without any effective prevention measures from TikTok. 

Finally, TikTok has no effective measures to prevent users from using someone else’s private and personal images to spread fake news or defame and insult others.  VNS