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Vietnam to Try New Internet Blocking Service

By: Sherri L. Shaulis

Posted: 05/21/2008

HANOI, Vietnam - The Vietnam News Agency has reported that the country will have its first network-level Web filtering service later this year.

 

DTS Corp., Plantynet and Vietnam Datacommunication Co. have agreed to offer Green Internet services starting in November.

 

The service will help parents prevent children from accessing adult or objectionable Internet content, the Vietnam News Agency reported. The service will enable users to block websites containing pornographic, violent or other objectionable content by blocking access to sites inside and outside Vietnam, with a blocking rate of 99 percent.

 

Vietnam Datacommunication representatives said network-based Web filtering would overcome the shortfalls of other methods, such as keyword-based filtering software.

 

"Harmful websites have had a significant negative influence on society and culture," said Vu Hoang Lien, general director of Vietnam Datacommunication. "Both government and parents have spent a lot of effort trying to alleviate this adverse impact. The introduction of the Green Internet service is our commitment to families and society to keep the Internet environment ‘green' for our next generation."

 

Vuong Manh Son, chairman and general director of DTS, said the advantage of the service is that it is impossible for users to disable the Web-blocking function. Son said the Green service has already achieved success in the Republic of Korea, China and Taiwan.

 

Vietnam Datacommunication is Vietnam's leading Internet service provider.