After VTV cited a fanpage believed to belong to YouTuber Duy Nn (Trn Vn Duy) as an example of someone spreading false information about Covid-19, the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Department of Hanoi Police quickly verified the source and coordinated with relevant parties to investigate the case.
They found that Duy Nn’s Facebook page, H Noi Ph, posted a video titled “H Noi Ph Clear on the First Day of Lockdown.” The video was uploaded on May 4 and gained many views on YouTube, along with likes and comments on Facebook. Although the video has since been removed from the fanpage, it caused public confusion and complicated the government’s pandemic control efforts.
Following strong backlash from viewers, YouTuber Duy Nn changed the term “lockdown” to “pandemic prevention” in his social media posts. However, he did not issue a formal correction to his followers about the misinformation.
During the investigation, Trn Vn Duy (born 1982, residing in Hong Mai, Hanoi) admitted to authorities that he posted false information and promised not to share misleading content on social media again.
This morning (May 10), Hanoi Police, in coordination with the Hanoi Department of Information and Communications, issued a decision to fine YouTuber Duy Nn 12.5 million VND for posting false information related to the Covid-19 pandemic on his Facebook page.
Details:
According to Clause 4, Article 20 of Decree 72/2013/ND-CP dated July 15, 2013, on managing, providing, and using Internet services and online information: “A personal electronic information page is one created by an individual or through social network services to provide and exchange information of that individual, not representing any organization or other individual, and does not provide aggregated information.”
The Facebook account “H Noi Ph” is a personal electronic information page created by Mr. Trn Vn Duy through Facebook to share information. Under these regulations, Mr. Duy is only allowed to post personal information. However, he posted content about Hanoi cuisine and Covid-19 on this page.
Based on Point a, Clause 3, Article 99 of Decree 15/2020/ND-CP dated February 3, 2020, on administrative penalties in postal services, telecommunications, radio frequencies, information technology, and electronic transactions, the Hanoi Department of Information and Communications fined Mr. Trn Vn Duy 12.5 million VND. The corrective measure requires removal of the violating content, which Mr. Duy has complied with.
Decision No. 53/QD-XPVPHC
