The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Information and Communications on Tuesday announced software designed to collect data from major social networking platforms with the aim of enabling state management agencies to proactively gather and comprehend the opinions and needs of individuals and businesses.

The software is capable of collecting data from popular social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and others, serving as a channel to capture people’s feedback on local issues, facilitating more effective management and social development policies. 

It is meant to assist organizations in managing and shaping public opinion by monitoring and analyzing trends, opinions, and emotions on social networks. 

The tool particularly focuses on developments involving hostile, subversive, and anti-social groups exploiting social networks and Internet platforms to incite protests against government policies and guidelines.

According to Lam Dinh Thang, director of the Department of Information and Communications of Ho Chi Minh City, this platform will be utilized by all city departments and districts after they have undergone training. 

Thang emphasized the importance of city departments and districts quickly becoming familiar with the platform and fostering daily creativity to ensure its effectiveness. 

For instance, districts can utilize the software to report the most pressing issues for the local community each week or assess public interest at the time of promulgating specific policies, Thang explained. 

He noted that the city currently boasts about 22 million social network accounts and over 200 press agencies, as well as the highest number of key opinion leader (KOLs) in Vietnam. 

The official highlighted that residents’ daily lives have shifted to social networks, prompting city leaders to prioritize listening to and understanding people’s opinions, thoughts, and aspirations through these channels. 

“Each week, the municipal Department of Information and Communications receives no less than a dozen letters of feedback, complaints, denunciations, and recommendations related to online activities,” Thang stated. 

“This underscores the need to collect, evaluate, and analyze online information to support the municipal government’s administrative work.”

At Tuesday’s event, the Department of Information and Communications, the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association, and the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association signed a memorandum of understanding on coordinating the promotion of legal education and providing legal assistance in the field of information and communications.

As per Thang's perspective, this will streamline efforts to promote awareness of legal regulations pertaining to the Internet among individuals and businesses.

This, in turn, will contribute to more precise and efficient oversight by authorities.

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