TikTok Singapore’s operation in Vietnam violates local laws: Ministry, Illustrative photo (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – Violations of Vietnam's laws have been detected in TikTok's cross-border services in Vietnam after a comprehensive inspection of TikTok's activities in the country from May this year, the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) said at the monthly press conference on October 5.

At the event, head of the MIC’s Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information Le Quang Tu Do said that an intersectoral inspection group examined two entities of TikTok in Vietnam, which are Ho Chi Minh City-based representative office of TikTok Pte.Ltd ( TikTok Office) and TikTok Technologies Vietnam Company Limited (TikTok Vietnam).

The two entities are found not directly involved in managing and providing cross-border services in Vietnam through the website TikTok.com and the app TikTok.

The cross-border services are directly managed and operated by TikTok Pte.Ltd (TikTok Singapore).

However, for e-commerce trading floor services, because the TikTok Office registered to establish a commercial platform through the TikTok application as authorized by TikTok Singapore, the TikTok Office must be jointly responsible for violations in providing this service according to the provisions of Vietnamese law.

TikTok Pte. Ltd (TikTok Singapore) is not the subject of inspection but is the unit that directly manages, operates, and provides cross-border services into Vietnam through the website TikTok.com and the TikTok application. Therefore, TikTok Singapore is the unit responsible for complying with the provisions of Vietnamese law in providing cross-border services, the official said.

The inspection group identified violations of TikTok Singapore.

Regarding the provision of social networking services and child protection, TikTok Singapore has stored illegal information on CDN servers in Vietnam. This includes fake, distorted information that incites violence and social evils and information that is harmful to children. The content censorship process is ineffective, allowing content that violates Vietnamese law. The way of distributing and recommending content, which is based on user interactions, preferences, and interests, easily leads to rapid spread of toxic illegal content.

The company also has no measures or tools to ensure the safety of children's confidential information. It does not send warnings of risks when children provide or change confidential information about their personal life. It does not perform the detection and removal of images, documents, and information that are inappropriate for children that could affect their healthy development. The company does not classify information into safety-for-children levels and allows children under 13 years old create an account while the social network is for those from 13 or above.

TikTok Singapore has no policy to protect the copyrighted content of users. It does not announce its contact point with State management agency on copyright and related rights issues. The contact is not published on the website of the TikTok platform.

Regarding the provision of e-commerce services, TikTok Singapore has not published information about the application owner on the homepage of the TikTok Shop application according to Vietnamese regulations. It also does not fully store seller information as prescribed when registering to use of the service, nor does it fully inspect and supervise to ensure the provision of information about sellers' goods on the e-commerce trading floor according to regulations.

The inspection team have made proposals to relevant ministries and agencies regarding measures to make TikTok address its violations.

The head of the MIC’s Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information said that after the inspection, his office worked with the TikTok Singapore representative and the representative committed to implement measures to tackle the violations. In addition, the TikTok Office and TikTok Vietnam have coordinated and provided full information to authorities as required, committing to making specific adjustments and notifying in written documents to the MIC within 30 days.

The official said that if cross-border platforms do not comply with Vietnamese law, they will certainly not be welcome to operate in Vietnam.