According to the proposal reviewed by Reuters, social media accounts for users under 16 must be registered under a parent or legal guardian’s information. Parents would bear responsibility for supervising their children’s activity, including content viewed and time spent online. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and others would be required to implement technical measures for age verification, deliver age-appropriate content, and apply the highest level of privacy protections for child accounts.
The rules also mandate proactive detection and blocking of harmful content, including violence, pornography, gambling, drugs, suicide-related material, and other inappropriate topics.Deputy Culture Minister Phan Tam emphasized that the goal is not to completely ban children from social media but to create a safer, supervised environment. “The primary objective is ... to ensure that when children use social media services, they are placed in an age-appropriate environment and protected from inappropriate risks,” he stated.
The draft decree extends similar restrictions to online gaming, limiting under-16s to no more than 60 minutes of play per day per game operator, with parental registration required.
This move positions Vietnam among a growing number of countries taking action on youth social media use. Australia implemented a full ban for under-16s in late 2025, while nations like France, Malaysia, and others have proposed or enacted similar measures amid global concerns over mental health, addiction, cyberbullying, and exposure to harmful content.
The proposal remains in draft form and could be revised before final adoption. If passed, it would represent one of the stricter regulatory frameworks in Southeast Asia aimed at protecting children online.
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