Vietnam: What is a website? What are the types of websites?

What is a website?

Pursuant to Decree 72/2013/ND-CP, a website is a system of information used for establishing one or multiple pages of information that are displayed in the form of symbols, digits, text, video, audio, and other forms of information serving the provision and use of information on the Internet.

Vietnam: What is a website? What are the types of websites? (Internet image) 

What are the types of websites?

Pursuant to Article 20 of Decree 72/2013/ND-CP, websites are classified as follows:

- Electronic newspapers in the form of websites.

- News websites are websites of organizations and enterprises that post news cited from official sources, specify the authors or managing agencies of the official sources, and the time when such information is posted.

- Internal websites are websites of organizations and enterprises that post information about the functions, tasks, powers, organization structure, services, products, business lines, and other information serving their operation. Those websites do not post news.

- Private websites are websites established by individuals or via social networking sites to provide and exchange private information. Those websites neither represent other organizations and individuals nor provide news.

- Specialized websites are websites of organizations and enterprises that provide applications for telecommunications, information technology, radio and television, commerce, finance, banking, culture, health care, education, and other fields. Those websites do not post news.

Principles for management, provision, and use of online information in Vietnam

Principles for management, provision, and use of online information are prescribed in Article 21 of Decree 72/2013/ND-CP as follows:

- The management, provision, and use of online information in the form of electronic newspapers, electronic publications and online advertisements must comply with the laws on press, publishing, and advertising.

- The management, provision, and use of online information in the form of social networking sites and news websites must comply with Section 2 Chapter III and relevant regulations of this Decree.

- The management, provision, and use of online information on mobile networks must comply with Section 3 Chapter III and relevant regulations in this Decree.

- The management, provision, and use of online information on specialized websites must comply with specialized laws and relevant regulations of this Decree.

- Organizations and individuals shall take responsibility for the information they store, transmit, provide, or spread online.

- Private information of organizations and individuals shall be kept confidential in accordance with law. The control of private information online shall be carried out by competent state authorities in accordance with law.

- Organizations and enterprises that provide online services must not reveal personal information of service users, except in the cases below:

+ The users agree to provide information;

+ Organizations and enterprises reach written agreements on the provision of personal information to calculate charges, make invoices, and prevent avoidance of contractual obligations;

+ At the request of competent authorities as prescribed by law.

- Organizations and individuals engaged in the management, provision, and use of online shall protect state secrets in accordance with law. Organizations and individuals shall encrypt the information classified as state secrets when storing and posting them online.

Mai Thanh Loi

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