Vietnam proposes restricting social media interactions for users under 16

The proposal drew significant feedback at a workshop held by the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Hanoi on Thursday. 

The workshop brought together representatives from government agencies, businesses, and international corporations, Sai Gon Giai Phong (Liberated Saigon) newspaper reported.

Under the draft, children under 16 would not be allowed to register social media accounts using their own information. Instead, they would have to use information belonging to a parent or legal guardian.

Parents or guardians would be responsible for managing the content their children access and the amount of time they spend on social media.

Domestic and foreign social media service providers would be required to have technical measures to identify child users and distribute age-appropriate content.

Platforms would have to apply the highest level of privacy protection, proactively prevent harmful content, and cooperate with authorities by providing information when they detect child abuse.

Nguyen Thao, a representative of Meta, said an absolute ban on interactions for children under 16 could prevent platforms from collecting behavioral signals needed by technical systems to identify users' ages and apply appropriate safety measures.

The restriction could also encourage children to falsely claim they are older in order to use regular accounts, meaning they would no longer receive protections designed specifically for children, she said.

Thao suggested replacing the blanket prohibition on interactions with age-appropriate safety measures, such as high privacy settings, harmful-content filters, screen-time limits, restrictions on messages from strangers and parental supervision tools.

Regarding a proposal to close or lock accounts belonging to users under 16 within 120 days, Meta said the duration would be too short to implement large-scale technical changes and could result in system errors, leading to adult accounts being mistakenly blocked.

Mass account closures could also affect children's ability to study and communicate with their families in Vietnam, the company said.

In Australia, platforms were given 12 months to prepare between the enactment of age restrictions and their official implementation, according to Meta.

The company recommended replacing the requirement to close or deactivate accounts within 120 days with a requirement for platforms to continuously improve their age-verification systems and periodically report to authorities on the measures they have implemented.

Nguyen Thanh Lam, general manager of TikTok in Vietnam, also expressed concerns about a complete ban on posting and interacting for children under 16.

He said the proposal should be considered in connection with national programs and goals for protecting and supporting children in the digital environment.

TikTok said it already offers a Family Pairing feature that links parents' and children's accounts, allowing the parents to monitor their children and helping protect them through technical tools.

The company also proposed a minimum preparation period of six months if changes to its products and infrastructure are required.

A representative of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council said the positive effects of social media on children should be fully considered, including its role in supporting education, expanding knowledge, and strengthening social connections, according to VOV.

It recommended removing the account closure and locking requirement and instead focusing on account management, privacy protection, content controls, restrictions on contact from strangers, and appropriate parental supervision.

Le Quang Tu Do, head of Vietnam's Authority of Broadcasting and Electronic Information, and a representative of the drafting committee, said the proposal to restrict children's interactions was based on statistics and real-world research into the risks of cyberbullying, which can seriously affect children's mental health and increase their vulnerability to online scams.

The drafting committee will consider the feedback and revise the draft to balance the need to protect children, the responsibilities of families, businesses and regulators, and children's rights to access information, learn and participate in the digital environment.

Eighteen countries around the world have so far taken official steps, prepared to submit bills or begun planning to bar children from using social media.

Most recently, France passed a law prohibiting access to social media for ‌those under 15 years of age, which is set to take effect in September 2026.