3 network operators proposed to be fined 420 million VND for violating spam calls

The Department of Telecommunications (Ministry of Information and Communications) has just issued four conclusions of an inspection on compliance with regulations against spam calls on fixed-line telephone services at the Military Industry-Telecoms Group (Viettel), Vietnam Posts and Telecommunications Group (VNPT), CMC Telecommunication Infrastructure Joint Stock Company (CMC Telecom) and FPT Telecommunication Joint Stock Company (FPT Telecom).

Accordingly, the inspection team will verify the following contents: Instructing users on how to prevent spam calls; providing tools and applications to report spam calls; thoroughly implementing measures to block advertising calls to the do-not-advertise list; blocking and revoking email addresses used to spread spam calls, etc.

As a result, all four businesses have applied technical measures to identify subscribers suspected of spreading spam calls and operate technical systems to block spam calls.

However, Viettel has not yet thoroughly implemented measures to prevent advertising calls to the do-not-advertise list. During the inspection, there were 1,165 calls using the identifier name to 921 subscribers registered in the do-not-advertise list, violating the provisions of Clause 3, Article 9, Decree No. 91/2020/ND-CP dated August 14, 2020 of the Government on combating spam messages, spam emails, and spam calls.

Similarly, CMC Telecom made 63,390 advertising calls to 41,917 subscribers who had registered on the do-not-advertise list. During the inspection period, 2 individuals and 18 organizations who were customers of CMC Telecom with fixed-line subscribers made advertising calls.

Meanwhile, FPT Telecom has not yet thoroughly implemented measures to prevent advertising calls, allowing 526,159 advertising calls to 137,125 subscribers registered in the list of not receiving advertisements...

For the above violations, Viettel, CMC Telecom and FPT Telecom were each proposed to be administratively fined 140 million VND, and to apply an additional penalty of suspending service provision for 2 months for violating subscribers.

VNPT Group also allowed 1,239 spam and advertising calls to 626 subscribers registered on the do not receive advertising list. However, VNPT explained that due to limitations in PSTN technology (wired fixed telephone network), VNPT could not prevent calls from PSTN landline subscribers to the do not receive advertising list.

The inspection team requested VNPT to overcome shortcomings and limitations, as well as take technical measures to prevent advertising calls.

Previously, from November 1, 2022, the Ministry of Information and Communications piloted the 156 number to receive reports on spam calls and calls with signs of fraud through two forms: voice and text messages.

This is a unified number used nationwide and deployed with all network operators providing fixed and mobile telecommunications services (since 2020, the Ministry of Information and Communications has deployed the number 5656 to receive messages reflecting spam messages and spam calls according to regulations).

Specifically, customers send a message (free) to the number 156 with the following syntax: S (phone number - source of dissemination) (content of reflection) send to 156 (or 5656).

For calls with signs of spam, customers text V (phone number - source) (reported content) to 156 (or 5656).

For calls with signs of fraud, customers text LD (phone number - source) (reported content) to 156 (or 5656).

Customers call 156 (free) to provide information (about the phone number that just made the call showing signs of spam calls, calls showing signs of fraud; cite some related content...) according to the instructions of the network operators...