Online advertising Vietnam: Platform regulation
Vietnam has expanded its regulation of online advertising platforms. The measures include enforcement mechanisms to prevent illegal online advertising. The Ecovis consultants explain the regulations, which came into force on 15 February 2026.
Decree no. 342/2025/ND-CP establishes a mandatory 24-hour takedown obligation for online advertisements if requested by competent authorities, including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and public security authorities.
Who the regulation affects
The obligation applies broadly to advertisers, ad networks, publishers, and online advertising platforms, including cross-border digital platforms whose services are accessible in Vietnam. In cases involving national security, removal must be prompt and no later than the 24-hour deadline. Where stakeholders fail to comply, authorities are empowered to deploy technical blocking measures, including access restrictions at telecom and ISP level.
We support international companies, for example, in the risk assessment of digital and ad-tech platforms. We also continuously monitor compliance with regulations.
Vu Manh Quynh, Attorney-at-Law, Managing Partner, ECOVIS Vietnam Law, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
The impact on platform operators
For European and international platforms, the decree materially increases operational and enforcement exposure in Vietnam. Compliance is no longer assessed solely on policy documentation, but on actual response capability within a legally fixed timeframe.
Vietnamese regulators have, over the past two years, demonstrated a growing willingness to coordinate across ministries and telecom operators to enforce digital regulations. This trend suggests that takedown orders will be time-sensitive, technically enforced, and increasingly standardised.
Platforms without localised escalation procedures, Vietnamese-language compliance handling, or clear internal authority to act quickly may face service disruption risks disproportionate to the underlying advertising issue.
A practical example
An international advertising platform receives a written takedown request concerning allegedly illegal ad content displayed to Vietnamese users. The request is routed through regional compliance teams outside Asia and awaits internal review.
Under the decree, delayed internal escalation may result in missed statutory deadlines, exposing the platform to immediate blocking measures, even where the platform intends to cooperate in principle.
What platform operators should do
- Map internal takedown decision chains against the 24-hour statutory requirement
- Establish Vietnam-specific escalation and response protocols
- Test operational readiness for regulator-initiated takedown scenarios
