HindustanTimes.com Friday, August 16, 2002
Communist Vietnam may fortify Internet firewall Reuters Hanoi, August 16 Communist-ruled Vietnam, which has been policing Internet use more closely, may further fortify its Internet firewall to block out subversive material and pornography, a government official said. The Lao Dong (Labour) newspaper quoted Phan An Sa, deputy chief inspector of the Culture and Information Ministry, as urging Vietnam's Internet access providers to tighten firewalls to block subversive material. Cyberspace usage in the southeast Asian country is already controlled, and some sites, such as those run by overseas dissident groups, are hard to access. Rights groups accused the government earlier this year of detaining three dissidents for publishing on the Internet pro-democracy texts and criticism of Vietnam's border agreements with China, a charge Hanoi has denied. Last month the government also suspended the operations of a local website, saying it had not registered with the authorities. Sa told the newspaper that Internet service providers "need to stop immediately (inbound subversive information) at the national gateway". Vietnam has three state-run Internet access firms of which the largest is Vietnam Data Communication Co. About one million of Vietnam's 80 million population surf the Net. Sa, who headed a two-week nationwide inspection of Internet usage that ended on Wednesday, said Internet service providers must be responsible for restricting users' access to "degenerating information" or pornographic material. Sa could not be reached for further comment. In the interview, he said five types of information "which affect national security" had been discovered on the Internet, including outbound and inbound transfers of anti-government materials and the use of cyberspace for fraud. Sa said 70 percent of Internet users in Vietnam log in for chatting, 10 percent for games, 10 percent for e-mails and 10 percent for access to websites, of which five percent mainly surfed "harmful sites containing reactionary and sexual content". No punishment has yet been set for the offences uncovered during the crackdown but Sa said authorities should impose fines and increase education on Internet use for young people since most of those who surfed the net were between 14 and 24. The Culture and Information Ministry is in charge of monitoring Internet content in Vietnam, which is seeking to push an aggressive economic agenda and promote foreign investment while maintaining control over its population. � Hindustan Times Ltd. 2002. Reproduction in any form is prohibited without prior permission To send your feedback via web click here or email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
