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Tag: asia

  • Google suspends China’s Pinduoduo app on security concerns

    Google suspends China’s Pinduoduo app on security concerns

    Google has suspended the Play version of Chinese eCommerce app Pinduoduo after security issues were discovered in app versions outside Google’s app store. 

    Off-Play versions of the app that have been found to contain malware have been enforced on via Google Play Protect, and the Play version of the app has been suspended for security concerns.

    Meanwhile, Pinduoduo has also confirmed to Reuters that the app has been temporarily suspended as the current version is not compliant with Google’s Policy. No further details were shared, according to the report.

    The Pinduoduo app no longer appears in Google Play. Meanwhile, both shoppers and sellers versions of Pinduoduo App are still available to download on Apple’s iOS store. It was unclear if there are similar security concerns around the Pinduoduo app for Apple users.

    Founded in 2015 by PDD Holdings, Pingduoduo started as a fresh agriculture platform before expanding to a leading social commerce player serving approximately 900 million users, according to its website. As a company rooted in agriculture, Pinduoduo has worked with more than 16 million farmers and their communities to take part in and benefit from the fast-growing digital economy. True to its slogan “Together, More savings, More fun”, Pinduoduo strives to bring fun into consumers’ shopping journey.

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  • McDonald’s Korea fined for breach of customers’ personal data

    McDonald’s Korea fined for breach of customers’ personal data

    McDonald’s Korea was given a fine of 696 million won ($532,110) on Wednesday after the personal data of 4.87 million customers was leaked to hackers due to the firm’s lax data management.

    The Personal Information Protection Commission handed out the fine to the Korean branch of the American fast food chain, along with a financial penalty of about 10 million won for the data breach.

    According to the commission’s findings, McDonald’s Korea did not perform sufficient access control, leaving a backup file containing the personal data of its restaurant and McDelivery customers accessible via protocols for file sharing.

    As a result, the personal data of more than 4.87 million customers was hacked and leaked. McDonald’s Korea was also found to have not destroyed the personal data of 766,846 customers for whom the data retention period had expired, and belatedly notified authorities and customers of the data leakage.

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  • Superdry sells Asia Pacific IP assets to Cowell Fashion Company

    Superdry sells Asia Pacific IP assets to Cowell Fashion Company

    UK-based clothing company Superdry has agreed to sell its intellectual property (IP) assets in certain Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries to the South Korea-based Cowell Fashion Company.

    The $50 deal will enable Cowell to own and use the Superdry brand in South Korea with plans to extend it to other countries in the region, including China.

    The agreement excludes Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Australia, Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

    Superdry will retain its IP rights both in these countries and outside the APAC region.

    As part of the agreement, Superdry and Cowell will jointly develop relevant products that are consistent with the Superdry brand.

    In the first two years after the sale, Superdry will offer support and knowledge relating to the brand to Cowell.

    Cowell will pay an additional management fee of $1m, in two payments of $500,000, for the service it receives from Superdry.

    Superdry will receive the first instalment once the deal has closed, while the second instalment will be paid a year after its completion.

    Superdry CEO and founder Julian Dunkerton said: “This agreement offers the Superdry brand a fantastic opportunity to expand its global reach, while providing additional funding to help deliver our turnaround programme in the face of the challenging consumer landscape.

    “I’m absolutely thrilled by the opportunity to work together with Cowell to create inspiring products consistent with our brand heritage and build out across the APAC market.”

    The IP assets to be sold accounted for around 1.2% of total Superdry’s sales and contributed revenue of £7.4m ($9.1m) in the 12 months to 30 April last year.

    They also generated a profit before tax of around £2.5m.

    Cowell Fashion chairman Lee Sun-seop said: “With the two companies aligned together through explosive synergy, the plan to grow Superdry into a Superbrand across Asia is an exciting proposition as long-term partners.”

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  • Aldi named Best Sustainable Seafood Supermarket

    Aldi named Best Sustainable Seafood Supermarket

    Aldi has overtaken Sainsbury’s as the most sustainable supermarket for seafood, according to MSC league tables released today.

    Though Sainsbury’s remained top of the NGO’s table in terms of the volume of MSC-certified products, the percentage of Aldi’s seafood range that was MSC certified rose from 69% last year to 79%. Some 76% of Sainsbury’s range was MSC certified.

    The discounter’s smaller range meant the addition of 11 certified products took it to the top of the table, with a total of 85 MSC-approved seafood SKUs.

    Nine of the 10 supermarkets surveyed by the MSC were stocking more MSC-certified SKUs than in 2017, the survey found, with Asda and Tesco the fastest-growing (adding 35 and 33 certified products to their ranges respectively). Iceland was not surveyed by the MSC in 2017, but came bottom of the table in 2018’s rankings, with just one product, equivalent to 3% of its fish range.

    Morrisons remained near the bottom of the table with 4% of its fish products carrying the MSC logo, though it added five certified products. Sainsbury’s added the fewest new products, extending its certified product range by one to 226 from 2017 to 2018.

    “Our approach is to provide our customers with fresh, sustainably sourced fish and this is reflected in the MSC’s findings,” said Aldi MD of buying Julie Ashfield. “Customers know that shopping at Aldi means they can enjoy quality, responsibly sourced products, at affordable prices.”

    It follows a move by Aldi to launch a responsibly sourced assurance scheme for own-label fish in November. Its Love Fish signage would appear on products sourced in accordance with a “range of standards including MSC and ASC certification,” it told The Grocer last year.

    Overall, British supermarkets were selling more sustainable seafood than ever before, with offerings increasing 60% since 2016, said the MSC. More than 20,000 seafood products worldwide carry the MSC blue tick label.

    “The majority of British supermarkets are making a real investment in the future of their seafood,” said MSC programme director Toby Middleton.

    “Consumers are not powerless in making sustainable choices. Our league table shows that retailers are offering their customers clear labelling and the chance to make a difference, helping to protect fish stocks for our children and our grandchildren.”

  • T-Mobile subscribers can make hands-free calls using the Alexa digital assistant

    T-Mobile subscribers can make hands-free calls using the Alexa digital assistant

    Back in 2020, AT&T subscribers could use the Alexa digital assistant on their Echo smart speaker and smart display to make and take phone calls over the AT&T network. These calls could be going out to numbers in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, or coming in from callers in those countries. A year later, Verizon subscribers were allowed to link their phone numbers to the Alexa digital assistant on their smart speakers allowing them to make or take hands-free calls.

    T-Mobile subscribers are now able to connect their phone numbers with Alexa allowing subscribers of the nation’s second-largest carrier to make or take calls hands-free through Alexa. A tip  The Mobile Report (formerly The T-Mobile Report) received included an image showing a cartoonish T-Mobile subscriber saying “Alexa, make a call.”  The rest of the copy on the promo says, “Link your T-Mobile number to your Alexa speaker to connect to the people & places that matter most-with the same hands-free convenience you’ve come to expect from Alexa.”

    T-Mobile has put up a support page explaining how to set up Alexa to make calls. First, to link your T-Mobile account to Alexa you will need the following:

    • A T-Mobile account with a Voice line
    • A T-Mobile ID
    • An Amazon/Alexa account
    • Alexa Speakers
    • iOS 14 or Android 8.0 or newer smartphone to pair via Alexa app
    To link using the T-Mobile with Alexa skill, open the Alexa app on your phone and go to More > Settings > Communication. Under accounts, select T-Mobile and follow the directions on linking your T-Mobile account.
    To link using the settings in the Alexa app, follow these directions:
    1. Download and sign in to the Alexa app.
    2. Select More > Skills and Games.
    3. Select the Search icon in the top-left corner and enter “T-Mobile”, then select T-Mobile with Alexa.
    4. Select Enable Skill.
    5. On the T-Mobile login page, enter the phone number or email address and password you used to create your T-Mobile ID, then select Sign in. You will be prompted to verify your account via text message with a T-Mobile verification code.
    6. Once verified, select the line you’d like to use for calling on Alexa and confirm your address for 911 calls.

    To unlink your T-Mobile account from Alexa, open the Alexa app and go to More > Settings > Communications. Under accounts, go to T-Mobile > Disable Skill. Follow the directions.

    To make a phone call, Say, “Alexa, call [contact name or phone number]” When there is an incoming call, Alexa will ring and announce the call / caller ID. Say “Alexa, answer call” or “Alexa, decline”. To make an emergency call, Say, “Alexa, call 911.” Alexa will share your e911 address with the operator prior to the operator answering the phone call.
    When you’re home in a room where you have one of your Amazon Echo speakers or screens, using Alexa sure is a convenient way to make or take calls without having to reach for your phone.
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  • Samsung will patch the last dangerous Exynos modem vulnerability in April

    Samsung will patch the last dangerous Exynos modem vulnerability in April

    Earlier this month we told you about a zero-day vulnerability which means that a flaw was previously unknown to the software vendor and has been unpatched. The vulnerability affected the Exynos Modem 5123, Exynos Modem 5300, Exynos 980, Exynos 1080, and Exynos Auto T5123. Armed with nothing but the targeted device’s phone number, attackers can access the device.

    We know that Pixel 6 and Pixel 7 models were affected, but the flaw has been patched on these phones with the March security update which has now been released for the Pixel 6, Pixel 6 Pro, Pixel 6a, Pixel 7 and the Pixel 7 Pro. Other phones affected include Exynos-powered phones in the Samsung Galaxy S22 line. These models were sold in the U.K. and Europe. Other Samsung phones with the flaw include models in the mid-range Galaxy A and Galaxy M lines:

    • Galaxy A71
    • Galaxy A53
    • Galaxy A33
    • Galaxy A21s
    • Galaxy A13
    • Galaxy A12
    • Galaxy A04 series
    • Galaxy M33
    • Galaxy M13
    • Galaxy M12
    • Galaxy Watch 5 series
    • Galaxy Watch 4 series
    Also affected are a few Vivo models such as the S16, S15, S6, X70, X60, and X30 series.

    A Samsung community manager posted on the Samsung U.S. community site and said that five out of the six vulnerabilities found in the aforementioned Exynos modems were patched in March and the remaining flaw will be patched next month. Interestingly, Samsung initially came to the conclusion that the flaws were not severe.

    A Samsung community manager says that the flaw will be completely patched next month
    The community manager wrote last week, “Hello, We understand the concern of vulnerabilities. Samsung takes the safety of our customers very seriously. After determining 6 vulnerabilities may potentially impact select Galaxy devices, of which none were ‘severe’, Samsung released security patches for 5 of these in March. Another security patch will be released in April to address the remaining vulnerability. As always, we recommend that all users keep their devices updated with the latest software to ensure the highest level of protection possible.”
    Until the last vulnerability is patched in April, the Samsung and possibly the Vivo handsets listed above are at risk of being compromised at the baseband level. Thus, Google’s Project Zero research team recommends that users of phones still vulnerable should disable Wi-Fi calling and Voice-over-LTE (VoLTE).
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  • Your wishlist features may finally make it to iOS 17

    Your wishlist features may finally make it to iOS 17

    The latest iPhone operating system, iOS 16, introduced many new features and visual changes such as a customizable Lock Screen, live activities, skipping CAPTCHAs, and the capability to unsend and edit iMessages. It was quite a buggy release though and Apple had to release several fixes to address issues with it. This, along with Apple’s focus on its rumored mixed-reality headset’s xrOS operating system, was expected to negatively impact iOS 17 but it now looks like the next iOS version will be more than a stability update.

    In January, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said iOS 17, which is codenamed Dawn, would have fewer major changes than initially planned. In the latest edition of his Sunday newsletter, the esteemed journalist says that iOS 17 won’t just focus on ironing out bugs and improving performance. Apple has changed its strategy and iOS 17 is now expected to have several new features.

    The hope was to avoid the problems of iOS 16, an ambitious update that suffered from missed deadlines and a buggy start. But later in the development process, the strategy changed. The iOS 17 release is now expected to boast several “nice to have” features, even if it lacks a tentpole improvement like last year’s revamped lock screen.” Mark Gurman

    It’s still not going to be as big of an update as iOS 16 though but it could include many user-requested features. Gurman didn’t go into the specifics about the features. But, as always, we have rumors to fill in the gaps.

    First of all, it’s highly likely that iOS 17 will allow sideloading, meaning you wouldn’t be dependent on App Store for app downloads. Other than that, Apple may revamp iMessage with a new home, chat rooms, video clips, and AR chat features. A leaker with a questionable track record had also said that iOS 17 would largely focus on stability and efficiency and Apple could make changes to Mail, Fitness, Wallet, Home, and Find My apps. iOS 17 may also come with an app for Apple’s AR/VR headset.
    iOS 17 will likely be announced at the next Worldwide Developers Conference, which will apparently take place on June 5 and will be rolled out to eligible iPhones (iPhone XS and later models, presumably) sometime around mid-September.
  • Sanctions hit Vietnamese exports to Russia

    Sanctions hit Vietnamese exports to Russia

    Vietnam’s exports to Russia fell by nearly 60% year-on-year to US$205 million in the first two months of this year.

    Iron and steel, footwear and electronics exports almost came to a halt while those of agriculture produce like rice, vegetables and seafood fell by 20-50%, according to the Vietnam Trade Office in Russia.

    Rubber, garment and coffee were the only items whose exports increased.

    The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war is said to be the main cause as sanctions on Russia limit its trade with other countries, including Vietnam.

    Major shipping firms and airlines have stopped their Russia operations, and so Vietnamese business have trouble sending goods to the country.

    Bilateral trade fell by nearly 62% to $402 million.

    The trade office said Russian businesses are increasingly interested in establishing trade partnership with their Vietnamese counterparts, and the number of Russian companies participating in Vietnam’s fairs and exhibitions is rising.

    Many Russian retailers want to sell agricultural products, clothes and footwear from Vietnam, it added.

  • Smartphone sales tumble in Vietnam

    Smartphone sales tumble in Vietnam

    Smartphone sales in Vietnam have plunged in the first two months of 2023 as tightened spending amid rising inflation prompts the sector’s first decline in years of recent growth.

    According to an industry report, less than 2.5 million smartphones were sold in Vietnam this January and February, down 30% year-on-year.

    “This year consumers have tightened their spending, even during the Tet holiday, which has been peak shopping season for years,” said Nguyen Lac Huy, a media representative at CellphoneS, referring to the Lunar New Year holiday which fell at the end of January this year.

    Industry insiders estimate that sales since the beginning of this year have dropped to levels not seen in at least two or three years. In recent years, growth over the same period has often been within the 5-15% range.

    This decline is in line with global trends.

    Smartphone sales worldwide in the last quarter of 2022 plunged 18.3% year-on-year, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).

    It was the steepest decline in a quarter since 2013, IDC reported. Total smartphone sales in 2022 dropped by 11.3% from 2021.

    In Vietnam, the biggest drops were recorded in the middle and affordable segments. Last year, sales of smartphones under VND5 million dropped 60% from 2021.

    “Economic difficulties have had a large impact on the low-income population, including workers,” said Hong Quan, an industry observer.

    Tightened credit policies have also prompted some retail chains to cancel their zero-interest installment payment campaigns.

    The high-end segment is also struggling. The iPhone 14 Pro Max, one of the most expensive smartphones on the market, has seen prices plunge by 25% to VND27.4 million over the last five months.

    Phan Thi Kim Quyen, a media representative of retail chain Minh Tuan Mobile, said that this year Apple lowered its latest smartphone price earlier than in previous years (in which the drop has come as late as June).

    Other retail chain representatives have said they are now lowering prices because they misinterpreted market demand trends and imported more than they should have. iPhone prices in Vietnam are now among the lowest in the world.

    FPT Shop anticipates that there will be no growth in smartphone and computer sales this year, while other chains expect a recovery in demand by early next year, or the end of this year at the earliest.

    CellphoneS is cutting business hours and staff sizes at low-revenue shops. It is also seeking rent discounts from property owners.

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  • Sex messages coax phone users into dubious downloads

    Sex messages coax phone users into dubious downloads

    Vietnamese cell phone users have been receiving a spate of sexual messages from strangers in recent times that also ask them to click on links.

    The messages that came from handles such as “Lam tinh” (Making love), “Gai goi” (Call girl) and “Tim ban tinh” (Seeking love partners) began at the end of February, and have increased since last week.

    Phuong Thanh in Hanoi’s Cau Giay District said she received text messages from obscene sender names twice last week.

    When she was dining out with friends once the entire group received a message from the same sender with identical content telling to access a link for details.

    Thanh Lam in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 said he has received similar messages in the last few days. When he clicked on the link that came with the message, he was redirected to a website that introduced a dating app and told users to download it.

    “I knew it was a scam, so I didn’t go ahead. However, it will be very dangerous if the bad guys use aliases to impersonate organizations such as network carriers, banks and e-wallets,” he said. “Then gullible people are very likely to be deceived.”

    Many phone users received messages with obscene content.

    The difference with the old scam is that the obscene messages do not display a phone number, only a preset sender name.

    In telecommunications, it is known as an “alias,” and is used only in brand-name messages registered by companies and owners of product brands.

    Computer security expert Ngo Minh Hieu, aka HieuPC, the founder of a non-profit named “Chong lua dao” (Anti-phishing), said scammers change scripts constantly.

    “When phone users are wary of messages impersonating banks, scammers turn to scenarios that target curiosity.”

    The applications that are sent for downloading are mainly spyware capable of collecting user information, he said.

    Experts advise phone users not to click on unknown links, carefully check a website before downloading apps or entering passwords and set up OTP (one-time password) security for accounts and install security software on their computers and mobile phones.

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  • EU considers loosening controls on Vietnamese noodles

    EU considers loosening controls on Vietnamese noodles

    According to the Vietnam Trade Office in Belgium, the European Union (EU) is considering a proposal to reduce food safety control measures on instant noodles imported from Vietnam.

    Since February last year, 20% of Vietnamese instant noodle shipments exported to the EU have been subject ethylene oxide level inspections. All shipments have been required to come with health certificates issued by Vietnamese regulatory agencies.

    According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Industry and Trade, in the second half of 2022, the EU found no ethylene oxide, an organic compound with various applications (including disinfection and sterilization), in Vietnamese instant noodles.

    Therefore, the EU has proposed not requiring health certificates for instant noodles imported from Vietnam, reported the office.

    According to the office, the proposal is expected to be approved by the block’s member states at a meeting in April.

    By the end of February, the Ministry of Industry and Trade had issued 3,170 health certificates to exporters of instant noodles to the EU market through 21 ports.

    Germany is the largest import of instant noodles from Vietnam, accounting for over half of the certificates issued.

    In August 2021, a number of batches of Vietnamese instant noodles exported to the EU market were returned or destroyed due to residues of ethylene oxide exceeding the permissible level stipulated by the EU.

    Currently, each country and region has different regulations on ethylene oxide.

    Ethylene oxide is commonly used as a highly effective disinfectant and fumigation agent in a number of agricultural products, especially spices and herbs.

    Consumption of products containing ethylene oxide does not pose an acute health hazard but can cause cancer if taken regularly for a long time.

    In many European countries, 2-chloroethanol, a metabolite of ethylene oxide, is considered ethylene oxide when they calculate the ethylene oxide content in foods.

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  • Durian prices plunge by half

    Durian prices plunge by half

    Durian prices have plunged by half in nearly two months as harvest season approaches and supply is abundant.

    Farmers in the southern provinces of Tien Giang, Long An, Binh Phuoc, and Dong Thap sell their Ri6 durian for VND75,000-VND85,000 per kilogram ($3.19-$3.62), down from VND190,000 in earlier February.

    Lanh, a farmer in Tien Giang, said he sold seven tons of durian for VND75,000.

    “I sold quickly due to a fear of a steeper plunge,” Lanh said.

    In Can Tho City, Hanh is selling the lower quality durian for VND45,000 per kilogram, down by half from last month.

    Prices are set to fall further as harvest season in Binh Phuoc and Dong Nai provinces approaches, she added.

    Van Hoa Investment and Development, which buys durian from farmers for export, is offering VND95,000 per kilogram for the highest quality and VND75,000 for the medium segment. The company buys 20-30 tons a day from suppliers.

    Traders say that the increase in supply as the harvest season approaches has pulled down durian prices. Furthermore, other fruits, such as rambutan and plums, will be harvested soon, which will make durian less attractive.

    Prices could fall even further in May when durian farms in the central highlands begin to harvest.

    Vietnamese durian will also have to face competition in the summer with durian from Thailand and the Philippines.

    Vietnam’s durian farming area reached 110,000 hectares by the end of last year after the country was allowed to export the fruit officially to China. This exceeded the government’s plan by nearly 47%.

    In the first two months this year some farmers in the southern and central highlands regions even chopped down coffee, pepper and rice to grow durian as prices surged.

    China is also growing its own durian to meet domestic needs. The country has 93.3 hectares of the fruit on Hainan Island.

    The Laos government has agreed to set aside 30,000 hectares of agriculture land to grow durian specifically for the Chinese market. This is equivalent to around 27% of Vietnam’s durian farming area.

    The Philippines, which earlier this year received permits from China for fresh durian exports, plans to send 54,000 tons of the fruit to the market of 1.4 billion people this year.

    The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has advised farmers to stop switching en masse to durian farming to prevent an oversupply.

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  • Expats unhappy with Vietnam visa policy

    Expats unhappy with Vietnam visa policy

    Vietnam’s consternating visa policies helped placed the nation in the bottom 10 of an index ranking countries in terms of how favorable expatriates find their living conditions.

    The Expat Essentials Index, informed by the annual Expat Insider survey by website InterNations (which describes itself as the world’s largest online community of expats), found expatriates vexed about the Vietnam’s visa policy.

    For the 2022 edition of the index, InterNations asked 11,970 expats of 177 nationalities living in 181 countries and territories to provide information on various aspects of expat life.

    To be featured in the Expat Essentials Index, each destination needed a sample size of at least 50 survey participants. In total, 52 countries and territories met this requirement.

    Vietnam landed in the bottom 10, ranking 46th in the overall index, which included the four subcategories of Digital Life, Admin Topics, Housing, and Language.

    The nation was placed 51st out of 52 destinations for the Admin Topics Subcategory.

    Within this subcategory, 48% of surveyed expats reported that they had difficulties obtaining a visa to move to Vietnam, double the global average of 24%.

    Almost two in three, or 66%, said it was challenging to deal with the local bureaucracy, compared to 39% globally. And 41% found it difficult to open a local bank account, compared to 21% globally.

    “The bureaucracy makes simple tasks quite difficult,” said a British expat living in Vietnam, according to the survey.

    Vietnam ranked last for the availability of government services online in the Digital Life Subcategory, where it placed 49th. About one in four expats (23%) described it as difficult to pay without cash in Vietnam, compared to 8% globally.

    The country also fell in the bottom 10 of the Language Subcategory, ranking 47th.

    Within this subcategory, Vietnam ranked last for the ease of learning the local language.

    However, 65% of respondents reported that it is easy to live in Vietnam without speaking the local language, compared to 51% globally.

    For more positives, the country excelled in the Housing Subcategory, where it ranked fifth. Nearly seven in 10 expats (69%) considered housing in Vietnam affordable (compared to 39% globally), and 76% reported that it is easy to find a house here (versus 54% globally).

    The survey found Bahrain the world’s best destination for expats and Germany the worst. Singapore came third in the list as expats highly rated its digitalized life and Indonesia sixth thanks to affordable housing, with both having the language advantage.

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  • Vietnamese universities among top 100 in subject ranking

    Vietnamese universities among top 100 in subject ranking

    Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) has ranked two Vietnamese universities as among the world’s top 100 in their subject areas.

    In Hospitality and Leisure Management, Duy Tan University in Da Nang was ranked 51 out of 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023.

    In the Engineering Petroleum program, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh CITY (VNU-HCMC) in the eponymous city also placed 51 out of 100, according to the rankings announced on Wednesday.

    VNU-HCMC’s Engineering-Petroleum program held the same rank last year, while this is Duy Tan University’s Hospitality and Leisure Management program’s first time on the list.

    Vietnam is also home to two other universities that ranked within the top 300 in certain subject areas.

    Duy Tan University also made it to 201 out of 230 in the Engineering-Civil and Structural Engineering subject, while Ton Duc Thang University in HCMC made it to 251 out of 300 in Mathematics.

    Vietnamese universities made the rankings in three other subjects. In Engineering and Technology, Duy Tan University was ranked 326, Hanoi University of Science and Technology and VNU-HCM both at rank 401 out of 450, and the Vietnam National University in Hanoi at rank 451 out of 500. In Natural Sciences, Duy Tan University and Vietnam National University in Hanoi were both at rank 451 out of 500. In Social Sciences and Management, Duy Tan University was at rank 451 out of 500 and VNU-HCM at rank 501 out of 530.

    Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) is a British firm specializing in overseas education. This year’s ranking includes around 1,600 global universities in 54 subjects, based on criteria like academic reputation, citations per paper and international research networks.

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  • OTT services like Telegram, WhatsApp must be managed locally

    OTT services like Telegram, WhatsApp must be managed locally

    Over-the-top media services, including popular messaging apps like Telegram, need to be managed under the Law on Telecommunications, according to amendments to it proposed by the government.

    The Ministry of Information and Communications said OTT services could be considered direct substitutes for traditional communications like calling and texting, and popular apps like Zalo, Viber, Telegram, and WhatsApp come under this category.

    “There are currently no provisions in the law for managing them, and so there is no way to protect users and information safety and security.”

    The ministry also called for a level playing field for domestic and foreign businesses. Specifically, for OTT telecom services that collect fees, domestic providers need to be approved to do so, while international providers need to have commercial agreements with an approved domestic provider to do so, it proposed.

    Even for OTT telecom services that do not have fees, the ministry proposed that their providers still need to register with the information ministry. International, large-scale providers with service in Vietnam meanwhile must either have commercial agreements or place their representative offices in Vietnam to make sure they abide by local law.

    At a conference held Thursday to discuss the amendments, Vu Tu Thanh of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council said OTT service providers have no connection with telecom providers.

    “For instance requiring Viber to sign an agreement with VNPT … We don’t know exactly what terms such an agreement would have,” Thanh said.

    Officials proposing the amendments yet said managing OTT services will ensure users’ protection and information security.

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