Strengthening the handling of celebrities advertising fake drugs

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST)'s preliminary report on the first six months of the year said that the authorities will strengthen screening, detection and handling of violations in cases of celebrities advertising fake milk and fake medicine.

Strengthening the handling of celebrities advertising fake drugs and counterfeit goods

The report at the conference to review the first 6 months of the year and deploy tasks for the last 6 months of 2025 of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (held on the morning of July 17 in Hanoi ) affirmed that activities to clean up the social network environment and coordinate the handling of counterfeit goods (fake medicine, fake milk and functional foods) are being promoted.

Recently, the phenomenon of some famous people and influencers on social networks advertising fake goods has eroded the community's trust, contributing to the sale of poor quality goods that affect public health.

Miss Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien was prosecuted for allegedly deceiving customers.

PHOTO: KV

Implementing the Prime Minister 's direction in Official Dispatch No. 40/CD-TTg dated April 17, 2025 on handling the case of production and distribution of fake milk and Official Dispatch No. 55/CD-TTg dated May 2, 2025 on production and trade of fake medicines, fake milk and fake health protection foods, in order to strengthen state management measures on advertising activities, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism builds a list of public career services using the state budget in the field of information and communication.

At the same time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated to block and remove 2 websites and 4 links on Facebook regarding advertising activities with content violating regulations related to food safety; with the competent agencies of the Ministry of Health to strengthen the handling of cases of celebrities and online influencers who violate the law on advertising functional foods.

Recently, the draft law on Amendments and Supplements to a number of articles of the Law on Advertising has added regulations on the obligations of celebrities when conveying advertising products. In addition to the general obligations like other subjects, there are a number of specific obligations.

Specifically, celebrities when advertising goods and services are obliged to verify the credibility of the advertiser; check documents related to the advertised products, goods and services. If they have not used or do not fully understand the goods, products and services, they are not allowed to introduce them.

This is a step to clean up the market, prevent counterfeit goods, ensure quality of life and youth for the people.

Also in the first 6 months of 2025, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism blocked and removed harmful information and illegal content online.

Facebook has blocked and removed 3,099 posts; YouTube has removed 913 violating videos and 7 channels (posting about 12,000 videos); TikTok has blocked and removed 1,284 violating contents, including: 5,600 videos and 9 audios, 724 accounts (posting more than 35,500 videos); Apple and Google have blocked 148/219 unauthorized games on Apple and Google app stores.

TV subscribers: Down 480,000 subscribers, down 120 billion VND

Pay TV subscribers in the first 6 months of the year are estimated at 20.52 million subscribers, down 2.28% over the same period last year (in the first 6 months of 2024, pay TV subscribers reached 21 million subscribers).

Pay TV revenue, including service revenue (including VAT), is estimated at about VND 4,880 billion, down 2.4% over the same period last year (in the first 6 months of 2024, pay TV revenue reached VND 5,000 billion).

Thus, pay TV has decreased by 480,000 subscribers and 120 billion VND in revenue. Currently, there are 36 businesses licensed to provide pay TV services.

In the context of streamlining the apparatus, press and television agencies are transforming towards compactness, lightness and efficiency. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has developed a circular regulating essential radio and television channels of the central and local levels. At the same time, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinates the implementation of direction and orientation for radio and television stations/units to effectively carry out information and propaganda work on important political and social contents.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tang-cuong-xu-ly-nguoi-noi-tieng-quang-cao-thuoc-gia-185250717093758463.htm