The handbook against fake news and misinformation in cyberspace published by the Ministry of Information and Communications. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — In a move to tackle violating content and fake news on international social networks, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) has amped up action to minimise widespread misinformation.

Facebook, YouTube and TikTok were told to block or remove violating channels and accounts from their platforms.

From June 23 to September 20 this year, Facebook took down more than 975 posts containing false information against the Party and the State and several brands, individuals and organisations, equivalent to 90 per cent of violating posts.

The platform also closed one group and banned 26 fake accounts and 24 advertising pages that were involved in illegal invoice trading.

Meanwhile, Google removed 2,793 violating videos from YouTube alongside 12 channels with around 31,179 videos in total that produced content against the Party and the State.

TikTok blocked access to 82 violating links containing misinformation, as well as four livestream accounts that made distorted comments about Việt Nam’s territorial sovereignty; 29 accounts with regular content against the Party and the State; and 13 accounts defaming the late President Hồ Chí Minh.

In October 2023, Facebook took down 404 posts, one group and seven accounts for their violations, while Google removed 480 videos from YouTube and TikTok banned 53 violating contents.

Authorities also recommend that social network users should equip themselves with fundamental knowledge to filter out misinformation and violations on the internet.

To have appropriate preventive measures and solutions for violation cases, the MIC has also put in place a system to actively review and detect sources that spread misinformation on transnational social platforms.

The MIC also works with relevant ministries and sectors to compile a special watchlist of hostile reactionary groups and political opportunists that regularly upload false information.

Taking stringent actions against information violations, the MIC coordinates with city and provincial People’s Committees to strengthen management in the area of their jurisdiction.

Local authorities are also allowed to handle violators if detected with administrative fines.

In case of repeated and serious violations, the local information and communications department will work with police forces to collect evidence and handle them as criminal cases.

The MIC also updated regulations on internet services supply and management to include provisions that aim to create a strong legal basis and better manage international social media.

The ministry also enhances communications about the schemes of hostile opposing forces that take advantage of these platforms so that citizens can have better awareness and stay vigilant when they encounter misinformation.

These include awareness campaigns alongside existing deterrent and penalty measures.

At the end of 2022, the MIC also issued the “Handbook against fake news and misinformation in cyberspace” which aimed to heighten the sense of responsibility and equip social media users with knowledge and skills to detect false information and violations in cyberspace and limit the spread of this content.

The Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information also collaborated with VnExpress and FPT Online Service JSC on the campaign “Tin” (which means both news and trust in Vietnamese) to improve cyberculture in Việt Nam and counter misinformation.

The campaign ran from September to November this year.

Lê Quang Tự Do, head of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information said that due to the constantly evolving technology, the terms and conditions for content creators needed to be regularly updated based on community feedback.

The MIC is also running an information programme that reaches out to people in remote areas through the press and media with the hope that with access to official sources, fake and false news will be limited among people.

At a recent question-and-answer session at the sixth session of the 15th National Assembly, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng said that multiple measures had been taken to counter misinformation.

The National Cyber Security Centre was established five years ago with a system to automatically scan for and remove malicious information.

A national Anti Fake News Centre was also formed and was expected to be replicated at the provincial level. — VNS