According to the proposal for a draft Law on Electronic Commerce submitted by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Viet Nam, the draft, for the first time, includes live sales within the scope of the legislation on electronic transactions, requiring live salespersons on platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, Facebook to complete identification through VNeID (Viet Nam ‘ s National Electronic Identity System) or other legal identity documents to ensure the authenticity of the seller ‘ s identity and to reduce the risks posed by anonymous transactions.
The draft aims to create a sustainable and regulated electricity market to deal with the rapidly growing live electricity company (25 billion United States dollars in 2023, an annual 20 per cent increase), while addressing tax evasion and IP abuse. Provision is made for live content and transaction data to be kept for at least one year and for electronic contracts to be retained for three years in order to enhance transparency of transactions and prevent tax evasion and commercial fraud (e.g. the sale of counterfeit goods).
Viet Nam ‘ s electricity company market is expected to reach $63 billion in 2030, and live broadcasters (especially TikTok Shop) are growing rapidly, accounting for 30 per cent of the electricity provider GMV in 2024. The draft complements the Electronic Commerce Act and the Cyber Security Act and echoes the draft Personal Data Protection Act issued on 24 September 2024, emphasizing data privacy and platform responsibility. The draft is expected to enter into force in August 2025, with specific provisions to be considered at the May and November 2025 session of the National Parliament.
The draft, if effective in August 2025, would facilitate the upgrading of authentication and data storage systems on platforms such as Shopee, Lazada, TikTok, which could increase operating costs in the short term but would help to reduce IP torts and tax omissions in the long term. Live salespersons are required to complete their identification, which may affect the enthusiasm of small sellers to engage, but may help to reduce counterfeit goods and fraud.
In the long run, the draft will enhance consumer trust and attract more brands, but in the short term it may increase compliance costs and affect the profitability of small and medium-sized live vendors.