Vietnam's Vingroup files defamation lawsuit against Facebook user in US court

On Friday afternoon, YouTube channel Minh Giang – Truc dien TV livestreamed a discussion about Vingroup’s lawsuit filed in the U.S. against a person named Hien Nguyen, a resident of Los Angeles.

The YouTube channel shared that Hien Nguyen was accused of defamation and unfair competition.

The lawsuit alleges that she used her Facebook account to spread false and misleading information, including claims that nearly 5,000 Vingroup employees resigned en masse due to concerns over the safety of the company’s electric vehicles.

Vingroup asserted that such posts have caused reputational harm and were strategically designed to attract viewers and drive traffic for commercial gain, specifically benefiting her bird’s nest product business.

The group is seeking a court injunction to prevent her from continuing these activities and is pursuing monetary damages.

This lawsuit marked Vingroup’s first legal action in the United States concerning online misinformation, according to the YouTube channel.

In a rapid response to the news of the lawsuit, Facebook user Hien Nguyen reportedly deleted all Facebook posts related to Vingroup shortly after the case was filed with the California court on Wednesday.

The case was part of a wider legal campaign by Vingroup against misinformation efforts.

The group has recently filed civil lawsuits against 68 organizations and individuals both at home and abroad for spreading false information about the group online.

As of Thursday evening, 65 YouTube channels and Facebook users had removed or hidden a total of 120 videos containing what the company deemed to be false information, according to Vingroup.

Additionally, 11 channels have issued public apologies, including several well-known Vietnamese YouTube creators such as Tra da & Tin moi, BLV Minh Tri, Tin tuc moi sang, Goc dau tu, and BLV Phu Tai.