Fake news on the internet is posing major challenges to Vietnam’s national construction and defense destabilizing national politics, and eroding people’s trust in the Party. Government agencies are taking steps to deal with this fake news.

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Vietnam ranks 7th in the world in number of Facebook users with more than 50 million. The number of Vietnamese users on other internet platforms is also large. Cyberspace has become an important information channel in Vietnam.

Identifying cyber security crimes

In addition to undeniable convenience, cyberspace is a conductive environment to spreading fake news.

In the first half of this year, the Ministry of Public Security uncovered, arrested and prosecuted more than 70 internet users who abused social networks to create reactionary groups like Trieu Dai Viet and Viet Tan.

127 other people were imprisoned for participating in violent protests in Binh Thuan against draft laws on Special Administration and Cyber Security. Provocative propaganda on social networks every day.

Deputy Minister of Public Security Senior Lieutenant General Bui Van Nam said, “Dissident organizations use the internet, social networks, and IT to incite people against the government. People involved in the Formosa-related violence in Ha Tinh and  violence in Binh Thuan last year were incited via the internet and social networks. Foreign reactionary and terrorist organizations have used the internet to recruit, train, and control protesters and conduct sabotage activities against Vietnam. Drug traffickers and human traffickers use computer technology to carry out their activities.”

The Department of Cyber Security and High-tech Crime Prevention of the Ministry of Public Security says there are approximately 2,500 reactionary websites with servers located overseas spreading propaganda against the Vietnamese Party and State.

Among them, 30 websites, 200 Facebook accounts, and 50 Youtube channels regularly carry propaganda against Vietnam.

Major General Nguyen Minh Chinh, Director of the Department, said, “Hostile and reactionary forces are abusing cyberspace to sabotage Vietnam’s national security and civil order by inciting protests and violence against the regime and urging street revolutions to change the political regime in Vietnam. Fake, distorted, and biased news is spread throughout cyberspace.”

Strengthening combat capacity

Vietnam ranks 20th in the world for risk of malware attacks and 8th in vulnerability to malware injection attacks. In the first half of this year, 2,150 websites and portals in Vietnam were affected by malware. 8 websites under State control.

The National Cyber Security Center plans to strengthen its capacity to deal with 100 to 300 million malware attacks by day to prevent them from spreading.

Nguyen Manh Hung, Minister of Information and Communication, said, “Foreign social network companies need to abide by Vietnamese law when they operate in Vietnam. Laws and legal tools regarding cyber security are available but we need to work closely to ensure the enforcement of the laws.”