Vietnamâs Decree No. 342: New Milestone in Online Ad Transparency Ahead of February 2026
Vietnamâs Decree No. 342, effective 15 February 2026, sets strict limits on mandatory ad exposure, requiring a oneâclick exit, clear signage, and robust reporting for nonâcompliant ads. It caps the mandatory viewing period for video and animated ads to five seconds and mandates that static ads be immediately removable. The law also targets eleven product categoriesâfrom cosmetics to pharmaceuticalsâto prevent misleading promotion and protect consumers.
Vietnamâs impending Decree No. 342, scheduled to enter force on 15 February 2026, marks a significant tightening of the countryâs online advertising framework. The decree is designed to protect consumers from intrusive and misleading advertisements while ensuring that digital platforms maintain a high standard of user experience.
Key regulatory changes include a hard cap on the mandatory exposure period for video and animated ads, allowing viewers to skip such content after five seconds. Static or imageâbased ads must be cancellable immediately upon display, preventing any delayed optâout mechanism. Beyond timing, the decree obliges platforms to provide a single, intuitive control that lets users exit any advertising content with a single interaction. This requirement extends to the removal of any âfalse or vague symbolsâ that could confuse or mislead viewers, replacing them with clear, descriptive icons.
To create a transparent user environment, platforms must add visible notification marks and concise guidance for reporting ads that violate the law. These mechanisms will empower users to flag inappropriate or nonâcompliant advertisements and will prompt platforms to remove or disable such content promptly. The regulation also addresses the need for a straightforward optâout experience, ensuring that users can decide whom they see ads from and can stop seeing them when desired.
Beyond userâexperience rules, Decree No. 342 imposes tighter controls on the advertising of eleven highâimpact goods and services. These categories include cosmetics; food and beverages; milk and formula for children; insecticidal chemicals and substances; medical supplies; healthcare services; animal veterinary drugs; fertilizers; plant seeds and saplings; pharmaceuticals; and alcoholic beverages. Advertisers in these sectors will face stricter disclosure requirements, higher verification standards, and potentially larger penalties for deceptive or misleading claims.
For platforms that host an international user baseâsuch as YouTubeâthe new law foreshadows changes to how mandatory, unskippable ads are presented. While the decree specifies a max fiveâsecond skip delay for video ads, it also mandates immediate cancellation for static creatives. This shift could drive a broader industry reevaluation of how âpremiumâ ad formats are structured, especially in markets with emerging consumerârights legislation.
In sum, Decree No. 342 represents a comprehensive tightening of Vietnamâs online advertising industry, reinforcing user agency and transparency. Platforms and advertisers must anticipate compliance requirements ahead of 15 February 2026, aligning technical architecture, creative strategy, and compliance protocols to meet the new standards and to safeguard consumer trust in the digital ecosystem.