Information ministry proposes ban on artists for legal violations

"We believe this is an effective measure and has been done in other countries, especially China and South Korea," Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, head of its department of radio, television and electronic information’s electronic information section said at a conference in Hanoi Thursday.

Le Quang Tu Do, director of the department, said: "In addition to administrative sanctions, there will also be other ways to deal with artists using vulgar language and breaking advertising laws. These include locking down channels, cutting off advertising fees and banning them from broadcasting and performing."

He said the current fines of VND5-10 million ($212-424) are not strong enough to deter people wrongdoing.

According to the department, the rate of blocking and removing malicious, fake and false information on cross-border platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, TikTok topped 92% in 2022.

At the end of last year the culture ministry released a Code of Conduct for artists that stresses compliance with the law, moral standards, good manners, and proper behavior in cyberspace.

But it does not include penalties or bans for artists.