The Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC) will inspect the protection of user data from organisations and businesses that collect and process a large amount of personal information to evaluate the work of ensuring safety and security.

The inspection is for social networks, post and telecommunications businesses as well as digital platforms managed by MIC.

Additionally, the ministry's Authority of Information Security said MIC will continue to direct relevant agencies to strengthen the implementation of management and technical measures for protecting personal data.

At the same time, it will continue to monitor and review the leak and trading of personal information by individuals and organisations in Viet Nam to issue warnings and timely handle violations. 

It will hold communication campaigns to improve people's awareness of protecting personal information and using tools to protect the data.

According to the authority, the situation of trading personal data is still very complicated. After the State management agencies have reviewed and handled websites that have posted and traded personal data, there are still groups of cybercrime operating on cross-border platforms.

The authority said that the trading of personal data has not only taken place between individuals but also businesses. Some service companies that have collected the personal data of customers have allowed third parties to access this data source. 

The Government has issued a decree on personal data protection effective from July 1. Experts say that having the decree on personal data protection is very necessary and suitable for the current actual situation in Viet Nam. 

This decree includes detailed regulations of data subjects, data controllers, data processors and third parties relating to data.

In a recent report submitted to the National Assembly, MIC said that the ministry also advised and submitted to the Government to issue Decree No. 14/2022/ND-CP to amend and supplement several provisions of Decree No. 15/2020/ND-CP on penalties for administrative violations in the fields of postal services, telecommunications, radio frequency, information technology and electronic transactions, and Decree No. 119/2020/ND-CP on penalties for administrative violations in journalistic and publishing activity. 

Especially, Decree 14 has regulations relating to the collection and handling of personal information.

In the last quarter of last year, 11 interdisciplinary inspection teams involving staff from the ministries of Information and Communications, Public Security and Defence assessed the work of ensuring network safety and security, including the protection of personal data.

MIC has also implemented many other solutions on protecting information of Internet users in Viet Nam, such as issuance of a manual on carrying out measures to protect personal information and account. 

The ministry has established an online channel to receive feedback on personal information leak and provide online tools that allow people to self-check the disclosure of personal information at the khonggianmang.vn site. It has also grant certificates for 3,163 official websites ensuring network information security, including personal data protection. — VNS