VietNamNet Bridge – The Ministry of Information and Communications has issued a circular to guide Vietnamese bloggers in the posting of information on their blogs.

The first photos of the tsunami in Southeast Asia post on blogs.

According to circular 07/2008/TB-BTTT, signed by Deputy Minister Do Quy Doan, bloggers are not allowed to:

- Provide, transmit and post links which go to information that violate Article 6 of Decree 97/2008 (banning anyone who takes advantage of the Internet to deliver distorted information, reveal state secrets, diffuse debauched and pornographic products, advertise illegal goods, etc.).

- Create blogs in the names of other individuals, organisations; illegally use blogs of others; diffuse wrong information and infringe on the legal rights and interests of other individuals and organisations.

- Spread illegal press works, literature and art works and other publications, violate the laws on press and publishing.

- Use personal information and pictures that breach Articles 31 and 38 of the Civil Code.

- Provide information that violates the rules on intellectual property, e-commerce.

The circular says that bloggers have to bear responsibility for the information on their blogs, protect their personal information and passwords. Bloggers are not allowed to plead that they lost their account passwords to avoid responsibility if they are found having released information banned in Decree 97/2008 on their blogs.

Blog service providers are asked to build and make public their rules on information provision and exchange on blogs that are based on their sites, punish bloggers who violate rules, prevent and delete illegal information on blogs, report the situation of their blog service to the Ministry of Information and Communications every six months and at the ministry’s request.

The circular confirms the policy of encouraging the development of blogs in Vietnam to share information which is suitable to customs and habits and Vietnamese laws. It also encourages the use of healthy Vietnamese language on blogs and the use of blogs on registered social networks.

PV