Foreign films entering Vietnam: Need for safety filter

This move is necessary and timely, but it also raises the question once again, are current measures sufficient to prevent similar violations from recurring in the future?

The infringing image appeared in episode 16, and was discovered by many viewers when watching unofficial versions of the film (only broadcast up to episode 15) and was not copyrighted. Therefore, the infringement has not appeared in the official domestic release.

However, that shows that risks are always hidden, especially with imported content that is broadcast in parallel with foreign markets.

This is not an isolated incident. In 2024, the movie 199 Love, when broadcast in Vietnam in parallel with China, was also discovered to have inserted illegal content and VieON had to remove all content.

Currently, the trend of purchasing copyrights for foreign films and programs and broadcasting them simultaneously on online platforms in Vietnam is quite popular. This form helps bring new, copyrighted content to meet audience needs, while also contributing to preventing the spread of pirated films.

However, imported films in this form usually only transfer each episode to partners in Vietnam, so the editing and censorship process is difficult to control comprehensively. Therefore, violations such as the cases of Let Me Shine, 199 Love ... are at risk of recurring.

Legally, point b, clause 2, article 21 on “Dissemination of films on cyberspace” of the Law on Cinema (amended) effective from January 1, 2023 stipulates that before disseminating films on cyberspace, entities must ensure conditions for classifying films according to Government regulations and be responsible before the law for the content and results of film classification. This means that the competent authorities will “post-check”, the “pre-check” role will be actively performed by the entities disseminating films.

In the current situation, with the above violations, the problem of handling them is still challenging. On the one hand, there needs to be close coordination between the platform and the state management agency in inspection and supervision, especially the quick response process, and a unified handling method to prevent consequences in a timely manner.

On the other hand, increasing the application of technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically identify sensitive details, combined with manual censorship to ensure accuracy is a feasible solution.

Dissemination of movies on the Internet is only truly safe when there is a strong preventive "filter", instead of chasing after violations when they have occurred.

HAI DUY

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/phim-ngoai-vao-viet-nam-can-luoi-loc-an-toan-post816532.html