TikTok operations will now be investigated by the Vietnam government from May as they found the content of the app to be “toxic” and “poses a threat to the country’s youth, culture and tradition”, as reported by the Information Ministry on Thursday.
Ministry representative Le Quang Tu Do stated in a news conference, without providing any further details, that the popular ByteDance-owned application TikTok has permitted “toxic, offensive, false and superstitious” content on its platform.
“TikTok, Facebook and YouTube are all cross-border social media with international standards. But when operating in Vietnam, the platform needs to abide by local regulations on both content and tax obligations,” Do said in a statement earlier this week, adding that TikTok had recently allowed “toxic, offensive, false and superstitious” content on its platform.
“We will need tougher measures to combat that content, removal only is not enough,” Do said. Although, he did not elaborate on the measures.
The government stated by citing data from DataReportal, a research company that the Chinese-owned app has around 50 million users in Vietnam who are 18 and above in age.
At the request of the Vietnamese government, around 1.7 million videos were removed in the fourth quarter of last year. Those videos were condemned to be in violation of government policies, as per the company’s data.
When Do was inquired whether the application will be banned all over the Southeast Asian country, he replied by saying that those who will not follow the local rules will have to face certain actions taken against them.
The ministry stated that apart from all apps, only TikTok is the platform that is going to be investigated as it is the only app that is used by local offices and officers.
In February, the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information said that a government commission will visit its Vietnam offices in the second half of the year to look after the investigation.
“This is an interdisciplinary inspection activity planned by the government and in line with Vietnam law for companies operating in Vietnam, not only TikTok,” TikTok Vietnam said in an email.
Meanwhile, TikTok Vietnam also stated that it had updated its policies and guidelines that are expected to be in force from the 21st of April, as per the statement made to Reuters on Thursday. The application is becoming more transparent about its terms and conditions and the ways to enforce them in an appropriate manner to avoid further charges.
