The front page of Vietnamese social network Zing Me, which is operated by VNG Corporation. According to the new circular issued by the Ministry of Information and Communications, the network must discard illegal contents within three hours after the authorized government agencies require or it detects.

HA NOI (Biz Hub) — The Ministry of Information and Communications has issued a new circular specifying new regulations on the management, provision and use of information on news aggregation websites and social networks.

Circular 09 takes effect on October 3 and will replace two of the circulars that the Ministry had earlier issued, particularly Circular 14/2010 issued on June 29, 2010, and Circular 07/2008 issued on December 18, 2008.

The regulations concern local and international individuals and organisations directly or indirectly taking part in operations on the management, provision and use of information on news aggregation websites and social networks.

One of the regulations requires news aggregation websites and social networks to put in place mechanisms that will immediately discard illegal content information that is regulated under Clause 1, Article 5 of Decree 72/2013/ND-CP on the management, provision and use of Internet and online information.

The illegal content must be discarded within three hours after being detected by themselves or by authorized government agencies.

News aggregation websites must also have a process of public information management that defines its news sources, and must manage and check all kinds of information before and after they publish it.

The Ministry also requires the websites and networks to carefully examine and accurately quote sources and ensure that their content is exactly the same as that of their sources.

The websites and networks must also require their users to first approve agreements posted on their front pages, on the provision and use of their content and services, in line with regulations in Decree 72, before being allowed access to their content and services.

The websites and networks must also take measures to protect the privacy of users and guarantee the right of users to decide whether to provide personal information to the website or networks.

The circular also specifies requirements, such as financial, human resources, for the granting of license authorising the creation of a news aggregation website or social network. It also specifies regulations on the adjustment, addition, extension and re-issuance of licenses to websites and networks. — VNS