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Mobile phone subscribers at a service station in Hà Nội’s Xã Đàn Street.— VNA/VNS Photo Minh Quyết Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Thousands of mobile phone subscribers are rushing to service providers across the country to update their personal information. Under the government’s Decree No. 49/NĐ-CP, issued on April 22, 2017, mobile connection can be blocked by service providers if customers fail to update their personal details before April 24. Under the decree, all mobile phone subscriptions activated before April 24, 2017, have to be registered with accurate information of owners, including name, identification/passport number and a profile picture. If they fail to register, the service provider will block incoming calls after 15 days and stop providing services in the next 15 days. The nearing of the deadline has caused a huge rush of customers to service providers overloading them, prompting the two giant telecommunications MobiFone and VinaPhone to … [Read more...] about Mobile phone subscribers rush to update personal information

Viettel suggests legal framework for access to personal data By Thuy Dung A Samsung representative shares experiences with law enforcement in the field of personal data access and protection in South Korea at a seminar on June 24. Viettel has suggested the issuance of a legal framework to address the use and protection of personal data – PHOTO: COURTESY OF SAMSUNG HANOI – Local telecoms firm Viettel Group has proposed issuing a legal framework for technology firms to access personal data in the digital age and at the same time, not to infringe users’ personal data protection rights. The absence of regulations on personal data use and protection currently serves as a major hindrance to the operations of companies in the field, according to Nguyen Viet Dung, head of the Strategic Study Department at Viettel Group, at a seminar on June 24, featuring discussions on Vietnam’s legal issues in the Industry 4.0 era. Many companies have a large collection of customer data … [Read more...] about Viettel suggests legal framework for access to personal data

Participants at the founding anniversary ceremony. - VNA/VNS Photo Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) held a ceremony in Hà Nội yesterday to celebrate the 45th anniversary of its founding. VNOSMP Director Lê Thanh Tùng said the office is an inter-sectoral group under the management of the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security. Over the past 45 years, thousands of VNOSMP staff together with tens of thousands of personnel from local authorities and citizens nationwide have sought the remains of US servicemen missing in action. Việt Nam and the US have conducted 130 joint activities, with 972 sets of remains being handed over to the US , nearly 720 of which have been identified. Việt Nam’s goodwill and full cooperation has been welcomed by the US administration and Congress, the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia … [Read more...] about Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons turns 45

People at the Việt Nam Immigration Department work on passport applications. Hà Nội chairman has asked the Government for permission to conduct a pilot plan which allows the city to supply other agencies with information from its citizen database in exchange for a fee. — Photo tienphong.vn Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — Authorities in Hà Nội have asked the Government for permission to conduct a pilot plan which allows them to supply other agencies with information from its citizen database in exchange for a fee. It is expected that banks, notary public bodies and some others will be authorised to use this data source. The proposal was made by Hà Nội chairman Nguyễn Đức Chung during an e-meeting with government leaders earlier this week. The city has completed a population database of nearly 7.5 million people. This data source would be digitised so that information can be shared on an electronic platform to serve the needs of banking, notary, medical and educational procedures, … [Read more...] about Hà Nội proposes to share citizens’ data

Mobile users wait to take photos at a Vinaphone service store in Hà Nội in April 2018. — Photo vietnamnet.vn Viet Nam News HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC) has suggested lifting a controversial requirement for mobile phone users to register their photos in a stunning policy turnaround just six months after the regulation was put into force. The MoIC, under the leadership of new acting minister Nguyễn Mạnh Hùng, released a draft decree to terminate the regulation which required all mobile phone users to register a portrait photo to their service providers by April 24, 2018. The idea was meant to help the Government manage mobile users, said the MoIC at the time, despite mounting criticism of personal invasion and concerns of personal information leaks. However, there seems to have been a u-turn. It said in the draft decree that in order to guarantee the personal information provided by users, there should be an information cross-check … [Read more...] about Mobile users no longer need to register profile pics: MoIC

Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý, — VNA/VNS Photo NEW YORK — The United Nations Security Council (UNSC)’s Informal Working Group on International Tribunals convened for its first meeting in 2020 on June 3 under the chair of Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý, head of the Vietnamese Mission to the UN and chairman of the group. In his remarks at the online meeting, Quý affirmed Việt Nam’s commitments to promoting multilateralism, the UN Charter and international law. As Chair of the group, Việt Nam will push ahead with dialogues in the spirit of construction and cooperation between the group, the Chair, the Prosecutor of the mechanism and the UN Secretariat, in order to complete tasks assigned by the UNSC, he said. Delegates reviewed the mechanism’s performance over the past six months, and measures to improve its operational efficiency, overcome the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and support judicial agencies in countries. The Informal Working Group on International Tribunals was … [Read more...] about Việt Nam chairs meeting of UNSC’s Informal Working Group on International Tribunals

Cybersecurity Law goes into effect today The Saigon Times Daily A smartphone user logs into his Facebook account. The Cybersecurity Law comes into force from today, January 1 - PHOTO: REUTERS HCMC - The Cybersecurity Law, which is aimed at protecting national security, while safeguarding the social order and safety in the use of the Internet, takes effect today, January 1. Under the law, made up of seven chapters and 43 articles and passed on June 12, 2018, Internet users are banned from organizing or inciting others to participate in reactionary activities, as well as sexual, religious and gender discrimination. Further, they are not allowed to provide false information causing public concern, economic losses and difficulties for competent agencies to perform their duties, as well as produce and use software and equipment which can hinder the operations of the network. Also, they must not take advantage of the cybersecurity system to harm the nation’s … [Read more...] about Cybersecurity Law goes into effect today

Bank customers warned of online transaction fraud during Tet The Saigon Times Daily Customers are transacted at a Techcombank transaction office in HCMC. Banks have warned their customers of online transaction fraud during Tet - PHOTO: THANH HOA HCMC - As fraud is common during Tet (Lunar New Year), local commercial banks have called on their clients to be careful when conducting online transactions, Thanh Nien Online newspaper reported. Specifically, the Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam (Vietcombank) has warned its clients of the most common tricks used by fraudsters. According to the bank, fraudsters tend to contact bank account holders by telephone, on social media or by email, pretending to be their relatives or officials and asking these customers to transfer money to them. They even pose as Vietcombank officials and ask for passwords to bank accounts. As for those using e-wallets, swindlers may call themselves employees of e-wallet service providers and … [Read more...] about Bank customers warned of online transaction fraud during Tet

Banks warn against online transaction fraud The Saigon Times Daily Customers are seen withdrawing money at an ATM in Hanoi. Local banks warn bank customers of possible online fraud during Tet - PHOTO: VNA HCMC – Local banks have issued warnings against online transaction fraud to their customers, since such trickery practices as stealing banking passwords when customers withdraw money at ATMs or make online payments are substantially common during the Tet Holiday, Nguoi Lao Dong Online reported. Asia Commercial Bank, commonly known as ACB, has sent warning notices via email to their customers, asking them to secure their banking personal information against swindlers. According to the bank, customers should stay highly vigilant against entering one-time passwords and usernames to their bank accounts on fake banking websites. There are several fake websites that pretend to be banks’ official ones or international money transfer channels to trick bank customers to … [Read more...] about Banks warn against online transaction fraud

British Embassy launches "Ambassador for a day" contest The Saigon Times Daily British Ambassador to Vietnam Gareth Ward (L) meets Deputy Prime Minister cum Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh in 2018 - PHOTO: COURTESY OF BRITISH EMBASSY IN HANOI HCMC – The British Embassy in Hanoi is calling for video submission to the "Ambassador for a day" contest, which is especially designed for girls aged between 13 and 22 years old in Vietnam on the occasion of the upcoming International Women's Day. To participate in the contest, eligible interested participants should record a 1-minute video explaining in English the question "If you were UK Ambassador, what would you do with your influence to promote a positive change in girls' education in Vietnam?" They should then post the video in public mode to their Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and mention the account @UKinVietnam with the hashtags #BalanceForBetter #UKAmbassadorForADay. The last step is to fill in the … [Read more...] about British Embassy launches “Ambassador for a day” contest