EXCLUSIVE Vietnam preparing rules to limit news posts on social media accounts – sources

SINGAPORE/HANOI, Sept 28 (Reuters) – Vietnam is getting ready new guidelines to restrict which social media accounts can submit news-related content material, three individuals aware of the matter stated, as authorities tighten their management over information and data sources within the nation.

The principles, anticipated to be introduced by the year-end and with particulars but to be hammered out, would set up a authorized foundation for controlling information dissemination on platforms like Fb and YouTube whereas inserting a big moderation burden on platform suppliers, two of the sources added.

The sources requested to not be recognized, as discussions concerning the new guidelines stay confidential.

Vietnam’s Ministry of Data and Communications and Ministry of Overseas Affairs didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.

“The federal government needs to repair what it sees because the ‘news-lisation’ of social media,” stated one supply aware of the talks. “Information-lisation”, or báo hoá, is a time period utilized by the authorities to explain the deceptive of customers into considering that social media accounts are authorised information retailers.

Authorities officers have been holding confidential conferences with widespread social media and web corporations to temporary them on which kinds of accounts will probably be allowed to submit information content material underneath the brand new guidelines, in line with the sources.

Authorities would have the ability to order social media corporations to ban accounts that break these guidelines, they stated.

Vietnam’s ruling Communist Social gathering already maintains tight media censorship and tolerates little dissent, with one of many world’s most stringent web regimes and nationwide tips on social media behaviour.

Two sources with direct information informed Reuters that extra guidelines on web and social media platforms can be launched across the fourth quarter of 2022 to early 2023.

As tech-savvy younger Vietnamese more and more flip to social media for info, these platforms have turn into a goal for presidency efforts to limit the circulation of reports from unauthorised sources.

Vietnam is a top-10 market globally for Fb with 60 million to 70 million customers, in line with 2021 information, and sources aware of the matter stated it generates round $1 billion in annual income for the corporate – surpassing France.

YouTube has 60 million customers in Vietnam and TikTok has 20 million, in line with 2021 authorities estimates, though Twitter stays a comparatively small participant.

Meta Platforms Inc (META.O), proprietor of Fb, and Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) declined to remark. Alphabet Inc’s Google and YouTube didn’t reply to requests for remark. TikTok stated in a press release that it addresses content material violations based mostly on relevant legal guidelines and with adherence to its tips, however didn’t touch upon pending Vietnam laws.

The Vietnamese authorities had adopted in July a set of non-binding tips on what qualifies as information retailers, together with standards to differentiate “actual” and “faux” information retailers, warning that some social networking websites embrace accounts that mislead customers into considering they’re newspapers.

These tips are anticipated to be integrated into the brand new guidelines, which will probably be binding.

The authorities are additionally anticipated to implement new guidelines that may require social media platforms to instantly take down content material deemed to hurt nationwide safety, and to take away unlawful content material inside 24 hours, sources aware of the matter stated.

Sources informed Reuters in April that the brand new guidelines, which had been initially deliberate for July, mirrored the federal government’s dissatisfaction with social media platforms’ take-down charges. learn extra

This will probably be executed by way of amendments to the nation’s principal web legislation.

Vietnam in August additionally issued a brand new regulation, as a result of come into impact from October, that can require know-how corporations to retailer customers’ information domestically and to arrange native places of work.

Reporting by Fanny Potkin in Singapore and Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi; Enhancing by Edmund Klamann

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