Vietnam – Starting February 15, Vietnam will enforce stricter online advertising rules, including a 5-second ad skip limit and tougher measures against illegal ads.
The new regulations follow the government’s issuance of Decree No. 342/2025/ND-CP, which details provisions of the Law on Advertising, particularly those related to online advertising activities. According to the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the decree will take effect on February 15, 2026, Vietnam+ reported.
Comprising five chapters and 32 articles, the decree outlines requirements for advertising content, dedicated advertising channels and screens, online advertising activities, national brand promotion on local radio, advertising within films, and the responsibilities of foreign advertising representatives and state authorities.
A key focus of the decree is online advertising outside fixed locations. This refers to ads displayed irregularly on online platforms, often obstructing content, such as pop-ups. Article 17 mandates that ads must include clear, single-interaction close buttons, prohibiting fake or hard-to-detect dismissal icons.
Vietnamnet Global further reports that under the new rules, video and image-based ads must allow users to skip them within five seconds. Online platforms, including social media services like YouTube, will no longer be able to enforce longer unskippable durations. The regulation also applies to static image ads, which must be immediately dismissible. For animated sequences and videos, the maximum unskippable duration remains five seconds.
The decree also strengthens controls on illegal or harmful content. Ads that violate Vietnam’s national security or other legal requirements must be blocked or removed within 24 hours of a request from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism or other authorities. Telecom and Internet service providers are required to implement technical measures to restrict access to such ads promptly.
Those responsible for online advertising—including advertisers, service providers, and publishers—are obliged to prevent or remove illegal ads within 24 hours of notification. Non-compliance will trigger enforcement actions, including technical blocking measures and potential legal proceedings.
