Vietnam is preparing to introduce stricter rules aimed at protecting children online by limiting how users under 16 interact on social media platforms. According to a draft decree, minors below the age of 16 could be prohibited from posting content, commenting, or reacting to posts, marking the country’s latest move to strengthen online safety for children.
Under the proposed rules, social media accounts belonging to users under 16 would need to be registered using the details of a parent or legal guardian. Parents or guardians would also be responsible for supervising the content children view and monitoring the amount of time they spend on these platforms.
The draft also requires social media companies to implement technical measures to identify child users and ensure they receive age-appropriate content. Deputy Culture Minister Phan Tam said, “The primary objective is not to ban or excessively restrict children’s access to social media, but rather to ensure that when children use social media services, they are placed in an age-appropriate environment and protected from inappropriate risks.”
Additionally, platforms would be required to provide the highest level of privacy protection for child accounts. They must also proactively detect, warn against, and block access to harmful content related to violence, pornography, gambling, drugs, suicide, and other unsafe material.
The proposal reflects a growing global effort to improve online safety for children and reduce exposure to harmful digital content. Earlier this week, France approved a ban on social media access for children under 15, while Australia had already introduced similar restrictions. Several other countries are also considering comparable measures.
Beyond social media, Vietnam is proposing tighter controls on online gaming. Game operators would need to verify users’ ages, register accounts of users under 16 through a parent or guardian, and limit children under 16 to no more than 60 minutes of gameplay per day for games offered by the same company.
The draft decree has not yet been finalised and may undergo further revisions before it is officially adopted.
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