During an early 2026 corporate event featuring dancing mascots and pyrotechnics, the CEO of HTV Network, Ngo Anh Tan, proudly displayed a Vietnamese sign reading “Doanh Thu Đột Phá,” which translates to “Record Revenue.” HTV, an international media company, had expanded rapidly over the past two years, now boasting a workforce of over 100 employees, as indicated in a Vietnamese job listing.
However, a joint investigation by CBC’s visual investigations unit and Radio-Canada’s Décrypteurs uncovered a stark contrast between HTV’s public image and its actual operations. The company, based in Hanoi, Vietnam, was found to be clandestinely operating an AI-driven network that disseminates fake news and sensationalized stories across global social media platforms.
The investigation revealed nearly 200 Facebook pages with over 55 million followers collectively linked to around 50 HTV-affiliated websites. These websites monetize through advertisements, often displayed alongside misleading or provocative political and religious content.
Fenwick McKelvey, a communication specialist at Concordia University, described the operation as “totally deceptive” due to the extensive dissemination of misleading content. The company’s name, HTV Network, adds a layer of complexity as it shares its name with a legitimate Vietnamese broadcaster, complicating efforts to trace its illicit activities.
The business model involved mass-producing AI-generated content, such as fake news stories like the “U.S. lost its main city” to attract user engagement. These posts would contain hyperlinks leading users to HTV’s websites where ads for various products and services were prominently featured. Despite HTV CEO Ngo denying knowledge of the company’s online presence, evidence pointed to his involvement, including matching phone numbers and domain registration details.
Following outreach from CBC, HTV swiftly took down its website, and Ngo’s social media profile was privatized, erasing digital traces connecting him to the network. Aengus Bridgman from the Media Ecosystem Observatory highlighted how platforms like Facebook incentivize the proliferation of low-quality, clickbait content, benefiting from user engagement.
The investigation utilized a combination of corporate documents, field investigations in Vietnam, and digital tools to uncover the intricate web of Facebook pages and websites linked to HTV Network. The report built on findings from the Media Ecosystem Observatory and identified unique identifiers like the “kolax9843” email associated with the network’s online presence.
HTV’s employees were observed promoting content marketing jobs through Facebook ads, offering salaries exceeding double the average income in Vietnam. The interconnected web of websites and social media pages, along with matching corporate records and contact information, pointed to Ngo Anh Tan’s central role in the operations.
Despite HTV’s attempts to distance itself by adding disclaimers labeling their content as fictional, the investigation shed light on the pervasive issue of low-quality AI-generated content, exacerbated by changes in Meta’s monetization policies. Meta’s lack of response on potential violations of their policy further underscores the challenges in combating online misinformation.
In a country like Vietnam, where Facebook reaches millions of users, the regulatory landscape poses challenges in holding tech companies accountable for facilitating such deceptive practices. The investigation highlighted the need for increased scrutiny and accountability in regulating digital platforms to curb the spread of fake news.