Over 1,000 social media platforms licensed in Vietnam

Le Quang Tu Do - Director of the Authority of Radio, Television and Electronic Information (MIC) said that in 2024, 40 social media platforms have been licensed. As of November 15, 2024, the MIC has granted 1,056 licenses to build domestic social media platforms.

Director of the Authority of Radio, Television and Electronic Information Le Quang Tu Do Photo: Quynh Nga

The total number of Vietnamese accounts using domestic social media platforms is about 110 million, of which Zalo is the biggest platform in Vietnam with 76.5 million users (as of June 30, 2024). Meanwhile, the total number of Vietnamese accounts using foreign social media platforms is about 203 million, of which Facebook is the biggest with 72 million users, followed by Tiktok: 67 million and YouTube: 63 million. This data highlights Zalo as the most popular platform, surpassing the three major cross-border platforms.

Over the past time, the MIC has regularly issued documents to remind organizations and enterprises that operate social media platforms to comply with Vietnamese laws; regulate the rate of negative information on cyberspace at below 15 percent. The ministry has also guided social media platforms to implement solutions to protect users, prevent fraud on cyberspace, and deal with violations when providing information online.

“In 2024, the ministry continued to maintain the combination of tough and flexible solutions to handle social media platforms when they violate Vietnamese law,” Le Quang Tu Do emphasized.

As a result, Facebook blocked and removed 8,981 items, including 8,463 articles, 349 accounts, 16 groups and 153 violating pages (94 percent compliance rate); Google blocked and removed 6,043 violating items on YouTube, including 6,007 videos and 36 channels (94 percent compliance rate); and TikTok blocked and removed 971 items, including 677 videos and 294 accounts (93 compliance rate).

On the other hand, the MIC held about 20 regular and unscheduled meetings with senior leaders and representatives of major cross-border platforms, such as Facebook, Google, TikTok, Netflix, Apple... to remind and urge them to comply with Vietnamese law.

In addition, 2024 marks the extensive cooperation of the MIC with cross-border platforms in organizing communications campaigns to raise awareness of network users, combat online fraud; and a festival to honor Vietnamese digital content creators...

In addition, to limit the spread of fake news and toxic information on foreign social media platforms, in 2024, the ministry has strengthened coordination with relevant ministries and sectors to verify, handle and publish fake and toxic news on the ministry’s portal www.tingia.gov.vn. The results show that as of the end of September 2024, the MIC received and handled 1,130 reports related to toxic news, fraudulent and false information.

In 2024, the ministry also issued a document guiding the People’s Committees of provinces and cities to set up centers to deal with fake news and toxic information in localities. As a result, 20 localities have now established fake news handling centers.