The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) asked the Vietnam Internet Network Information Centre to temporarily suspend operations of seven websites since November 1 for running unlicensed activities and posting stories with inappropriate content.

The MIC’s inspectorate confirmed the information on November 9, naming the websites as www.zuum.vn; www.thugian.com.vn; www.lamthenaoaz.vn; www.suckhoegioitinh.edu.vn; www.huongdan.edu.vn; www.suckhoedoisong.edu.vn; and www.tuvantamly.edu.vn.

The inspectorate also imposed penalties on organisations and individuals who owned these websites.

On November 6, the ministry requested the Hanoi Department of Information and Communications to deal with the NetLink Online Communication Joint Stock Company, based in Cau Giay district, as its websites www.edaily.vn and www.tinhay.vn posted stories with false information and copied articles from other sources without permission.

The same day, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications was ordered to handle the website www.cab.vn , owned by Nguyen Quoc Bao from the city’s District 10, for operating as a social networking without license and providing inappropriate information.

On October 31, the Mekong delta province of An Giang’s relevant agencies were also requested to strictly punish the provincial Vietnam Post and Telecom Group (VNPT) branch for posting a story that sparked regional discrimination and undermined the national great unity on www.angiang.vnpt.vn.

The latest moves came as part of a series of actions taken by the MIC to correct websites’ operations in Vietnam.

Earlier on October 25, MIC Deputy Minister Truong Minh Tuan told the online newspaper Vietnam Plus that the ministry will temporarily suspend operations or shut down unlicensed websites.

He added many websites were operating by copying stories from other sources without permission and presenting them as original work. Meanwhile, the youth can be misguided by those that provide inaccurate and/or false information as well as culturally decadent content.-VNA