Vietnam considers strict regulations for social media live streaming

Regulations on social media live streaming could soon be tightening in Vietnam and affect so-called “influencers” who make money off of marketing. In an effort to crack down on “fake news” and offensive content, the country’s Ministry of Information and Communications is proposing regulations on the live videos streamed through Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

Under the proposed measures, reported by the Vietnam media outlet VN Express, social media accounts need to register in Vietnam before hosting live stream marketing videos. Social media outlets like Facebook, TikTok and YouTube will be told to block or take down flagged content within 24 hours. Those with a large following of more than 10,000 followers and subscribers would be required to provide the government with their contact information. Websites and smartphone applications with 100,000 or more users a month must register with the ministry.

In Vietnam, 65 million people use Facebook, 60 million use YouTube, and 20 million on TikTok while the top 10 local social media outlets have a total of around 80 million users.

The ministry says the foreign-owned social media companies have not fully abided by the country’s laws while also outranking the local companies. “Fake news” shared on Facebook and other foreign platforms have had an effect on Vietnamese society, according to the ministry. Some who use the social media platforms to live stream have shared misleading and offensive information, the ministry said without going into detail about the content.

SOURCE: VN Express