Authorities in Vietnam have fined a TikTok user 30 million dong (approximately $1,200) for allegedly insulting the country’s first president, Ho Chi Minh, by suggesting he fathered multiple children out of wedlock.
The Da Nang Police Department’s Cyber Security and High-Tech Crime Prevention Division issued the fine to a 20-year-old resident identified as VBC, state media reported Monday. The charges stemmed from comments made in an online chatroom through his TikTok account, “Bảo Châu ThebigBat” (@baochaubatman), which authorities deemed as “insulting the nation, historical figures, and national heroes.”
TikTok Content Under Scrutiny
The incident was reported by the People’s Public Security online newspaper, which stated that the offense was not serious enough for criminal prosecution. VBC was summoned by authorities, admitted to the violation, and was ordered to delete all flagged content from his TikTok account.
An unverified document, allegedly linked to the case and posted on another TikTok account believed to belong to VBC, indicated that the comments implied Ho Chi Minh must have had illegitimate children to account for “so many grandchildren.”
Attempts by Radio Free Asia to verify the document or contact VBC were unsuccessful.
The account “Bảo Châu ThebigBat” now only features fitness-related posts, while another account, “Bảo Châu Zabigbat,” continues to criticize Vietnam’s education system, calling it “backward.”
This case follows another high-profile fine last year when TikTok creator Nờ Ô Nô was fined 30 million dong for posting videos asking users to compare Ho Chi Minh to social media celebrities.
Vietnamese authorities have been intensifying crackdowns on online content deemed disrespectful to national figures or harmful to public order, further tightening control over the country’s digital landscape.
