Thousands of websites would be required to apply for establishment licenses, following a draft circular on the management of websites and online social network services recently released by the Ministry of Information and Communications for public opinion.
Licenses would not be required for websites which only provide information on their own operation, services and products. Meanwhile, all other websites, including websites of press agencies and websites which quote news from press sources, must apply for a license for establishing a multi-purpose website.
To be licensed to establish a multi-purpose website, the applicant must be an organization or business set up under Vietnam’s law whose operation domains, functions or tasks match with the contents of the to-be-established website. At the same time, it must meet other conditions on technical equipment and personnel and obtain written consent of owners of news sources before quoting news from these sources.