Controlling and preventing harmful content in cyberspace.
The rapid development of social media has facilitated the rapid spread of information, but it has also brought about many negative consequences. Following recent serious crimes, numerous crime scene clips and violent, offensive images are immediately disseminated at breakneck speed. This situation not only causes distress to the victims' families but also instills fear in the community; simultaneously highlighting the urgent need to control content on the internet.
Obsession fromchildrenclip, imagescene
In recent days, social media has been flooded with videos and images allegedly taken from the scene of a particularly serious crime that occurred in Tay Ninh. Many accounts and groups have been continuously sharing clips and photos taken from the scene of the incident where a man murdered his wife and young child and injured the parents, shocking the public.
Many posts use titles like "shocking crime scene clip," "haunting to watch," and "camera captured the entire incident" to pique curiosity, attract views, and increase engagement. Some accounts even edit images of blood and crying at the scene and spread them widely, turning tragedy into "clickbait," disregarding the feelings of the victims' families and the negative impact on the community.
Notably, just hours after the incident, numerous Facebook and TikTok groups reposted videos of the scene along with speculative and unverified information. Many internet users freely shared the clips as if they were "breaking news," while the victim's family was still reeling from the shock. Local authorities also had to investigate and address the false and distorted information circulating online.
Similarly, the earlier incident in Lang Son involving Doan Van Sang also shocked social media when a series of unverified images, videos, and "documents" spread rapidly. Many groups and personal accounts continuously posted content describing the crime scene, speculative information about the murder, and even exploited gruesome details to gain interaction, causing confusion and trauma among the online community.
This reflects the reality that when the pursuit of likes and views becomes the goal of many social media users, even the most basic ethical standards are easily disregarded.
Ms. Tran Hai Yen (Thanh Vinh ward) believes that the spread of violent videos and images on social media is at an alarming level. She recounted how she accidentally saw a clip of a crime scene in Tay Ninh while browsing Facebook and was haunted by it for days afterward.
"The images are very disturbing, especially the sounds of crying and the bloody scenes that appear frequently on news feeds. What's frightening is that the more gruesome the content, the more it's shared, not only by adults but also by children who may accidentally see it while using their phones. The lack of humanity is evident in the fact that while the victim's family is grieving, some people online are treating it as a topic for discussion and curiosity," said Ms. Yen.
Sharing the same viewpoint, Mr. Dau Duc Dung (Hoang Mai ward) commented that sharing clips of crime scenes and serious accidents is making the online environment more distorted and harmful.
“Many people share these images widely without knowing the truth, just to get attention. This not only causes public confusion but also further harms the victims' families. More worryingly, children may also be exposed to inappropriate images. In my opinion, besides dealing with accounts spreading misinformation, we need to raise community awareness so that everyone understands that every insensitive share contributes to the spread of violence and harmful information,” Mr. Dung shared.
ThosenUt Shareapathyand consequences
Based on the cases handled, it has been shown that the majority of people who post and share offensive content do so with the aim of gaining views and likes, attracting attention on social media; some cases are due to curiosity, lack of legal knowledge, or the belief that simply "re-sharing" does not constitute a violation.
However, regardless of the purpose, the dissemination of content depicting accidents, violence, horror, and gruesome events has a negative impact on the community, adversely affecting the psychology of viewers and the online environment.
Lieutenant Colonel Tran Thien Giang - Head of the Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department (Nghe An Provincial Police)
According to point c, clause 1, Article 101 of Decree 15/2020/ND-CP, this act may be subject to a fine of 5 to 10 million VND; in reality, many cases have been fined 7.5 million VND and the offending content has been removed.
Lieutenant Colonel Tran Thien Giang advised people to be vigilant and responsible when using social media, and not to post or share offensive content for the sake of attracting interaction.
From a psychological perspective, Dr. Bui Xuan Dat (Nghe An Psychiatric Hospital) believes that frequent exposure to violent images can have many negative effects on mental health. Viewers may experience confusion, anxiety, obsession, and insomnia; children and teenagers are especially vulnerable due to their unstable mental state.
Repeated exposure to violent content can also reduce empathy, causing some young people to gradually become desensitized to the suffering of others, and even tend to imitate negative behaviors if not properly guided.
These influences may not appear immediately, but their long-term accumulation will impact personality development and behavior.
Dr. Bui Xuan Dat (Nghe An Psychiatric Hospital)
From a legal perspective, Dr. Nguyen Trong Hai, Director of Trong Hai & Associates Law Firm, stated that sharing violent videos, false information, distorted facts, or infringing on personal privacy on social media all violate the law.
Depending on the severity, offenders may be subject to administrative penalties as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 101 of Decree No. 15/2020/ND-CP or prosecuted under Article 288 of the Penal Code, with a maximum penalty of up to 7 years imprisonment.
.jpg)
The lawyer also emphasized that, in the context of the rapid development of social media, controlling harmful content requires coordinated efforts between regulatory agencies, technology companies, and the awareness of users.
According to compiled data from the Internal Political Security Department (Provincial Police) for the period 2021-March 2026, 172 cases of posting false information were detected and handled, with fines totaling over 1.1 billion VND; 630 cases of posting harmful and toxic information were questioned and warned, and the posts were requested to be removed and corrected.
Building a civilized and safe online environment.
Along with the Code of Conduct for Social Media, issued in 2021 to build a safe and civilized digital environment, many new legal regulations are also tightening the responsibilities of platforms and users.
Notably, the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Law, effective from March 1, 2026, and the Cybersecurity Law 2025, effective from July 1, 2026, are expected to create a stricter legal framework for controlling and preventing harmful content in cyberspace.
In particular, with children increasingly accessing the Internet at an early age, protecting children in the online environment has become an urgent requirement. Recently, the People's Committee of Nghe An province issued Plan No. 343/KH-UBND dated May 5, 2026, to implement the Program "Protecting and supporting children's development in the online environment in the period 2026 - 2030".
The plan aims to ensure that 100% of children who have been abused online receive timely support and intervention; 100% of general education institutions implement cybersecurity solutions; and 100% of internet service providers integrate solutions to block harmful information.
The Provincial People's Committee also assigned the Provincial Police to take the lead in coordinating with relevant units to establish a permanent contact point to receive and handle information on child abuse on the internet; and at the same time, strengthen the detection and strict handling of acts of disseminating harmful content.
Departments, agencies, socio-political organizations, telecommunications businesses, and local authorities are required to coordinate synchronously in disseminating information and educating on digital skills, aiming to build a safe and healthy online environment.
Social media is a valuable space for connecting and sharing information, but it can also easily become fertile ground for harmful content if not properly controlled and used responsibly. Violent videos and offensive images not only traumatize the public but also leave long-lasting consequences for the community's psychology, especially that of young people.
Building a civilized and safe online environment is therefore not only the responsibility of authorities or technology platforms, but also depends on the awareness, responsibility, and behavior of each user in selecting, verifying, and sharing information in a civilized manner.