Vietnam to conduct ‘comprehensive inspection’ of TikTok over harmful content

HANOI: Vietnam’s government said it will probe TikTok’s operations in the country from May, in a bid to ensure the video platform complies with regulations on content management, tax payments and commercial policies.

The popular Chinese-owned application, that carries bite-sized videos, has recently allowed “toxic, offensive, false and superstitious” content on its platform, ministry representative Le Quang Tu Do said in a statement this week.

“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.

The company said in February it was told by the Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information that a government delegation would visit its Vietnam offices in the second quarter.