Google has announced the removal of 56 gambling applications from its Google Play store because the games were not compliant with Viet Nam’s established laws, according to Deputy Director of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information Le Quang Tu Do.

Google’s removal of the apps following a request from Viet Nam was an important step in the co-operation between the technology giant and the Ministry of Information and Communications in preventing malicious information online and on social networks.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc previously asked for enhanced co-operation with global technology firms to prevent the spread of malicious information.

All 56 games which were removed were in Vietnamese, targeting Vietnamese users.

Of them, 16 games were reported to violate Google Play rules, including illegally exploiting users’ data. These games were removed from Google Play on a global scale.

The other 40 games were removed in Viet Nam following a request by the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information.

The apps included Vua bai, Danh bai online, Tien len mien Nam, Mau binh Xap xam, Game bai la online, Phom online, Game bai cao and Game ba la.

The Vietnamese ministry stopped licensing games which used cards or emulated casinos years ago.

The Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information previously sent a document to Google and Apple asking for co-operation in limiting Vietnamese users downloading such games on their app stores.

Helena Lersch, Google’s head for Public Policy and Government Relations for the Asia – Pacific, was quoted in a note on the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information’s website as saying that Google did not allow any content or services related to online gambling.

However, to remove inappropriate content, the apps must be flagged and reported to Google.

Lersch said that Google had a group working 24/7 on flagged inappropriate content. — VNS