Zalo domain suspended for unauthorized social network function

The decision was taken on a request by inspectors of the HCMC Department of Information and Communications who said Zalo, a Vietnamese texting and calling app, does not have a license to function as a social network.

After the 45-day period, the domain name Zalo.vn could be functional again if there’s no decision for it to be revoked, a VNNIC representative said Wednesday.

The HCMC information department has already ordered Internet domain providers in Vietnam to suspend two domains, Zalo.vn and Zalo.me, in June for functioning like social networks without a license.

Nguyen Duc Tho, chief inspector of the department, said the move was to "ensure fairness in governmental management" as other social media service providers in Vietnam have obtained approvals before going public.

At the point of publishing, Zalo.me remained functional.

Zalo is owned by Vietnamese tech firm VNG Corporation. It began as an application for calling and texting on the Internet, but is tied to personal phone numbers. Zalo's functions later expanded, including personal profiles and the uploading of images and videos.

It has grown to be a popular messenger app, garnering more than 100 million users globally after seven years.