Vietnam must 'plant flowers in cyberspace'

Speaking to VietNamNet about the flood of low-quality, addictive AI-generated short videos online, Le Quang Tu Do, head of the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, said cyberspace inevitably contains both light and dark sides, with useful information alongside harmful content.

The authority therefore has to carry out two tasks simultaneously: "building" positive content and "fighting" harmful material.

"We introduce regulatory measures to 'fight' harmful content by finding ways to block and remove it, thereby limiting its negative impact on internet users, particularly young people. The second task is to 'build', or, figuratively speaking, to 'plant flowers in cyberspace', by spreading more positive content, good deeds and meaningful stories to help push back against harmful material," Do said.

"When social media users spread positive things that make our lives happier and more joyful, they are helping make cyberspace healthier."

Short-form films continue to proliferate online

The Cinema Department under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism recently sent a document to businesses, public service units and organizations distributing films online, as well as organizations and companies that manage and operate digital media platforms, intermediary platforms or app stores offering films and film-distribution applications in Vietnam, requiring compliance with regulations on online film distribution.

Through its state management of the film industry, the Cinema Department has found that some organizations and individuals distributing films online have either failed to comply or not fully complied with conditions and procedures prescribed by film regulations.

These include rules governing entities permitted to distribute films online, conditions for film classification, the classification and display of film ratings, notification of film lists and classification results before distribution, and other obligations imposed on entities distributing films online.

The Cinema Department therefore asked relevant organizations, businesses and individuals to strictly comply with Clause 1, Article 21 of the 2022 Law on Cinematography, under which entities permitted to distribute films online are businesses, public service units and organizations engaged in film distribution activities in accordance with the Law on Cinematography and other relevant laws.

Before distributing films, businesses, public service units and film-distribution organizations must notify authorities of the list of films to be released and their classification results through the online film classification data system.

They must also display film ratings and warnings, apply necessary technical measures to protect children and enable service users to report films that violate regulations, while fulfilling other obligations required by law.

The Cinema Department has asked organizations and businesses operating digital media platforms, intermediary platforms or app stores that provide films or film-distribution applications in Vietnam to urgently inspect and review films, "short films" and film-distribution applications available on the platforms and app stores they manage and operate.

They must ensure that the provision and distribution of films comply with the Law on Cinematography and its implementing regulations.

For films and "short films" whose distributors have not fully met the conditions for online film distribution, film classification requirements or other legal obligations, the Cinema Department has called for them to be promptly blocked and no longer made available.

The distributors must also be required to take corrective measures and complete all necessary conditions and procedures before the films can be distributed again.

The Cinema Department is coordinating with relevant authorities and agencies to inspect, review and verify cases involving organizations and individuals distributing films on platforms, applications and cyberspace. Violations, if identified, will be considered and handled in accordance with the law.

Despite the Cinema Department's warning, low-quality AI-generated short films have shown no signs of declining. Such videos are often linked to brands or e-commerce platforms.

This has prompted suggestions that efforts to tackle this type of content should also include measures targeting major brands and e-commerce platforms associated with it.

Earlier, at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's regular press conference for the third quarter of 2025, Do said short-form film content on social media was reviewed and handled under Decree 147. However, he acknowledged that determining what constitutes a legal violation in this type of content is very difficult.

Thai Khang