Cyberspace code of conduct to be in place by year’s-end: Minister

A code of conduct for cyberspace is to be promulgated by the end of this year, Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Manh Hung has said.

He made the statement while being grilled in the Q&A session at the 14th National Assembly (NA) on November 9.

The code will require both internet users and operators to comply with Vietnam’s regulations and respect the legal rights and interests of organisations and individuals, especially the rights of children, the minister said.

He added that the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) submitted the code to the Prime Minister in April and reiterated that it will be issued this year.

The ministry has also been tasked with building a project on protecting and supporting children in cyberspace during the 2010-2025 period.

The project has introduced basic measures for reporting child abuse and applied technology, artificial intelligence, and big data to quickly detect and prevent child abuse content in cyberspace. This also helps raise children’s awareness and self-protection measures.

Regarding the development of an e-commerce platform for people in mountainous regions, the ministry has strived to give everyone in these areas access to internet, Hung said.

The Government and the State Bank of Vietnam will pilot Mobile Money technology to help people in remote and mountainous areas conduct e-payments.

A cooperation programme between a local mobile phone manufacturer and operator has helped people afford smartphones, he said.

The ministry has spared no effort in the implementation of the National Digital Transformation Programme by 2025, following the PM’s approval, Hung affirmed, adding that the ministry has launched an evaluation of digital transformation and ranking localities nationwide.