Hanoi, November 14, 2025 – The Europe Today: The National Assembly on Thursday afternoon deliberated on the draft Law on E-Commerce, with multiple deputies urging the inclusion of stronger safeguards to protect children amid the rapid expansion of online commercial activities.
Deputy Trịnh Thị Tú Anh of Lâm Đồng Province highlighted that more than 90 per cent of Vietnamese children aged six to seventeen use the Internet and smart devices for at least one hour per day. With about fifteen million young “digital citizens” engaging daily with smartphones, e-commerce platforms, and AI-driven recommendation systems, she noted that this demographic represents both a growing consumer base and one of the most vulnerable segments of online users.
She called for the draft law to include a dedicated article outlining the responsibility of e-commerce platforms to protect children, assigning clear legal obligations to major operators. Her proposed principles include a complete ban on advertising based on the personal data, behaviour, or location of underage users; default privacy protections for child accounts; tools that allow children and parents to manage real-time visibility and limit algorithmic personalisation; and simple reporting mechanisms for unsafe or inappropriate content.
Echoing these concerns, Deputy Nguyễn Thị Việt Nga of Hải Phòng said the current draft lacks explicit provisions governing children’s participation in livestream sales. She proposed requiring e-commerce platforms to classify livestream content by age, display warning notices for sensitive material, and promptly remove content deemed inappropriate for minors.
Deputy Hoàng Thị Thanh Thúy from Tây Ninh noted gaps in the article prohibiting false information during livestreams, stressing that the law does not clarify pre-broadcast control mechanisms for goods that may affect public health. She added that the requirement to store livestream data for at least one year may be insufficient, as dispute resolution or investigations can take longer. Thúy recommended establishing mandatory pre-broadcast review for livestreams promoting health-related products such as dietary supplements and cosmetics.
Meanwhile, Deputy Bế Trung Anh of Vĩnh Long proposed adding a clause requiring data authentication and storage practices to adhere to the principle of data minimisation — collecting only essential information for transactions and sharing it solely when supported by a clear legal basis.
The National Assembly is expected to continue refining the draft law as lawmakers seek to balance e-commerce growth with stronger consumer and child protection regulations.
