Handling a series of violating electronic news sites

Checking information on the Internet, the authorities of the Ministry of Information and Communications discovered many electronic information sites operating with violations.

To strengthen state management in the field of press and electronic information, restore order and improve the electronic information environment in Vietnam, and increasingly provide people with essential and positive information about society, the leaders of the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) have directed the relevant agencies to continue to strengthen the review, inspection, and resolute and strict handling of supplementary publications, supplements, special pages, and electronic information pages that show signs of deviating from the principles and purposes, commercialization, exploitation of topics, headlines, sensational and clickbait expressions, leaning towards exploiting the dark sides of society, negative issues, crimes, and mystical issues, creating confusion in public opinion; consider revoking the licenses of supplementary publications and electronic information pages with many violations or prolonged violations.

Through the work of checking information on the Internet, the competent authority of the Ministry of Information and Communications discovered that the general electronic information website www.2sao.vn of VietnamNet Media Joint Stock Company (Operating license No. 120/GP-TTDT dated January 9, 2013 issued by the Department of Information and Communications of Hanoi City, located at C'Land Building 156 Xa Dan 2, Nam Dong Ward, Dong Da District, Hanoi City) posted the article "First is the devil, second is the ghost, third is the student" on October 8, 2014; in the article there are many composite images, photoshopped images of politicians, celebrities in the world and Vietnam with offensive comments. This act violated Point c, Clause 4, Article 64 of Decree No. 174/2013/ND-CP dated November 13, 2013 of the Government stipulating administrative sanctions for violations in the fields of post, telecommunications, information technology and radio.

Also through the work of checking information on the Internet, the competent authority of the Ministry of Information and Communications discovered the following electronic information pages:

The website www.freely.vn is registered as the owner of Mr. Tran Quang Tuan, residing at 109 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan, Hanoi; and the websites www.automatic.vn; www.nhanh.net.vn are registered as the owner of Mr. Pho Duc Hai, address 39, alley 22, Truong Dinh, Hanoi, providing information as a general electronic information website, without a license from the competent state management agency, self-editing news articles, especially many news articles with content that violates the law.

The website www.compare.vn is registered as the owner by Mr. Pham Hoang Cuong, residing at 824.28 AB Su Van Hanh, Ward 12, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, and the website www.7vui.com (registered in Ho Chi Minh City) provides information as a general electronic information website, without a license from the competent state management agency, self-editing news articles, especially many news articles with content that violates the law, has content that distorts and insults the Vietnamese people.

The website www.anime24h.vn is registered as the owner of Mr. Le Van Van, residing at 372/36/6 Dien Bien Phu, Ward 17, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City; the website www.manga24h.com is registered as the owner of Mr. Le Van Van, residing at 3/33/6 Da Tuong, Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa, posting many comics and online movies with obscene content, not suitable for Vietnamese customs and traditions.

Considering the above cases are under the jurisdiction of the Department of Information and Communications of the provinces and cities: Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa, the competent authorities of the Ministry of Information and Communications have transferred the files to the Departments for strict handling according to regulations and reported the results to the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Doan Manh/mic.gov.vn