Minister Nguyen Bac Son: Will take strong measures to block spam and harmful information

Recently, the information security situation in the world and in Vietnam continues to be complicated. In particular, at the end of 2014, the phenomenon of spreading spam, junk messages, scam messages, spreading malware and fake emails to spread malicious information has re-emerged.

Solutions to enhance information security in the coming time, or state management responsibilities for information security will be issues raised in the column "People ask - Minister answers" this week.

PV:Dear Minister, the People Ask - Minister Answers column has received a number of letters. One of them was sent by an elderly listener stating: Recently, the situation of spreading fake information and harmful information that violates the law has been quite complicated and public. What is the Minister's assessment of this situation and why are these incidents happening so openly?

Minister Nguyen Bac Son:Besides the positive aspects of the Internet, there are currently forces spreading false information for illegal profits, and hostile forces using the Internet environment to sabotage us. Especially when the country has important events taking place every year.

For example, this year, under the direction of the Politburo, we are implementing Directive 36 of the Politburo to organize Party Congresses at all levels towards the 12th National Party Congress.

Besides, we are also raising many movements to develop the economy and society, competing to achieve many achievements to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, the 125th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, the 70th anniversary of the August Revolution, and National Day September 2.

Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Bac Son

These are very important political events taking place in today's social life. It has almost become a custom that when such important events take place in the country, hostile forces also intensify and increase the dissemination of false information to defame our regime. However, as we have witnessed, the police force has strictly handled violations of order, security and social safety.

PV:Minister, another listener expressed concern that websites that spread this harmful information still attract a certain number of readers. This is clearly having a negative impact on social life. So, with the responsibility of the State management agency for communications and information, what solutions do we have to deal with this situation, Minister?

Minister Nguyen Bac Son:This is a huge challenge for Vietnam in general and for the Ministry of Information and Communications in particular. Of course, we must find ways to manage and minimize damage to the network environment. Therefore, in recent times, under the close direction of the Government, the Ministry of Information and Communications has developed many legal documents, especially Decree 72 of 2013 to manage Internet services and information on the network.

The Ministry of Information and Communications also issued Circular 09/2014 to clarify the rights, responsibilities and obligations of those who provide information online as well as use information online to prevent and raise the sense of responsibility of citizens and social organizations when providing information services online and using information online, ensuring compliance with legal regulations.

Most recently, the Government proposed and the National Assembly accepted this year 2015, in the program of building legal documents, the National Assembly will consider and pass the Information Security Law Project. This is a very important Law Project contributing to the completion of the legal corridor for management in the network environment, contributing to ensuring the rights and obligations of those participating in activities in the network environment; ensuring safety, preventing acts that cause insecurity in the network environment.

PV:Many people who are concerned about spam messages have asked: During the peak period of the recent Lunar New Year, did the situation of spam messages decrease after the Ministry of Information and Communications took strong action? However, up to now, it seems that this phenomenon is returning and spreading quite strongly. So what stronger solutions does the Ministry of Information and Communications have in place besides the legal documents we already have, to truly correct this phenomenon?

Minister Nguyen Bac Son:In the coming time, the Ministry of Information and Communications will coordinate with relevant agencies, especially the inspection agencies of the Ministry as well as the inspection agencies of the Departments, branches and other relevant agencies to continue to inspect and supervise further and enhance the responsibility of the whole society in general and directly the network operators to prevent spam and prevent illegal activities in a timely manner.

I believe that all difficult problems have solutions, the important thing is that we work together and for the common benefit of society, the solution will soon be found. With this spirit, the Ministry of Information and Communications will continue to issue legal documents to manage OTT messaging services. This is a new development service that brings many benefits but is also very difficult to manage.

Therefore, to ensure equality in the network environment, OTT service providers must also share their revenue with network operators that are providing infrastructure services to them and at the same time, the State must also have the conditions to manage this activity, ensuring peace and safety in the network environment.

In addition, the Ministry of Information and Communications is also researching solutions. Instead of telecommunications service providers providing numbers to content service providers, the Ministry will now withdraw them to directly consider providing these numbers to content service providers. And there is a Circular to sign cooperation contracts between network operators and digital content service providers.

For example, if a digital content service provider uses a SIM card or a number to send advertising messages, he must notify the mobile information service provider. If he uses a different SIM card, an undeclared SIM card, or a number that he does not notify them of, they will not provide the service.

PV:A citizen said that in the context of strong development of social media, all kinds of bad and toxic information are still updated and spread on the Internet every day, every hour, even every minute. How does the Minister evaluate the role of the country's press force in the fight to prevent this false and toxic information?

Minister Nguyen Bac Son:Our press is also the shock troops on the ideological front, effectively fighting to prevent false and harmful information. Typically, in recent times, we have seen that many press agencies and radio stations not only propagate the Party's guidelines and policies, are forums for the people, but at the same time are also sharp weapons to effectively fight against false ideologies that exist in real space, real society as well as virtual society on the network environment.

Recently, in addition to traditional newspapers, some newspapers and journalists have also actively participated in online activities. As in China, people call these online commentators, our journalists have actively participated in online activities, also participating in Facebook, also participating in social networking sites.

Thus, in this virtual environment, the press with the courage of journalists in both real and virtual environments will always promote its role to perform well the function of propagating the Party and State's guidelines on the network environment and also be soldiers directly fighting against false information. With courage and sharp articles to fight to protect good customs and traditions, protect the Party's guidelines and viewpoints, fight against false arguments on the network environment, contributing to protecting the peace of the people and the security of the country.

I believe that our journalists, in all circumstances, are always the vanguard soldiers who take the lead in completing the task of information and propaganda well. Only a few days left until April 21, the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam Journalists Association, and in just a short time we will celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day. On this occasion, on behalf of the Ministry of Information and Communications, I would like to send to veteran journalists, all members of the Vietnam Journalists Association, and all journalists in the country's press system my thanks and congratulations, and wishes for health and happiness.

I wish that our Vietnamese revolutionary press will continue to develop and make increasingly worthy contributions to the cause of building and protecting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the new era./.

PV:Thank you, Minister./.

According to VOV