TikTok probe’s findings expected in July: Deputy Minister

Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam at the ministry’s monthly press briefing. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – Findings of the probe into TikTok operation in Vietnam are expected to be announced in July, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Lam said on June 5 at the ministry’s monthly press briefing.

Inspection of the operation of the cross-border social network TikTok was launched in the middle of last month after reports on TikTok users arbitrarily using private and personal images to spread fake news, smears, and insults to others.

Lam said that authorities initially have clues to identify TikTok’s violations and they are further verified following legal regulations.

According to the ministry, over the past time, the status of livestream advertising pornographic and gambling applications on social networking platforms has been taking place increasingly and blatantly. There have been a lot of reports on clips featuring online gangster content available on YouTube, or service vehicles carrying advertisements for gambling websites.

Regarding the issue, Deputy Minister Lam emphasised the ministry and relevant authorities are taking measures to curb it.

Besides inspection and detection of violations, the ministry released a set of messages in content management on cross-border social networking platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.

The ministry also calls for providing information, particularly legal regulations, to content creators in Vietnam and abroad who are expected to join in creating a healthy social networking environment and removing dirty content.

From April 15 to May 15, at a request of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Facebook blocked and removed 399 posts with false information and anti-State content, accounting for 91 per cent of the requests; Google removed 1,901 videos on YouTube, accounting for 94 per cent; and TikTok blocked and removed 51 links, accounting for 98 per cent.

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