The law, passed at the 9th session of the 15th National Assembly, took effect on January 1. 

At a workshop held on March 20 to review the 3-month implementation of the law and discuss challenges, Nguyen Quang Dong, director of the Institute for Policy Studies and Media Development (IPS) noted the gap between awareness and compliance among ordinary citizens.

This was illustrated by the incident between a musician and a Grab driver. Following a dispute during a trip, the driver posted a full video recording of their argument on social media. The incident quickly went viral and affected both parties.

On March 18, a representative of Grab Vietnam said the company had permanently deactivated the driver’s access to the Grab platform. Earlier, on March 12 and 13, after receiving complaints from the passenger account holder about the spread of personal information of both the passenger and a companion, Grab contacted the driver and asked that he stop violating the code of conduct.

The ride-hailing app stated that after verification and cross-checking, they had grounds to determine that the driver partner had collected, used and disclosed passengers’ personal data for personal purposes, beyond the purpose of picking up passengers and providing services.

Dong pointed out that the space inside a taxi is a private space. Under the Personal Data Protection Law, in the event of a dispute, drivers are not allowed to record audio or video and post private images on social media. From an enforcement perspective, he assessed that the company had acted appropriately.

Sharing the same view, Tran Van Tung, chair of the Vietnam Association for Science and Technology Information (VASTI), said: “Personal data must not be disclosed online or used to defame or harm the reputation of others.”

Article 32 of the 2015 Civil Code stipulates that the use of an individual's image must be subject to that person's consent, except for cases involving national or ethnic interests, or public interests.

Personal data protection is directly linked to human rights, privacy and social trust. Nguyen Khac Lich, director general of the ICT Industry Department under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said: “Protecting personal data is not only a legal requirement but also a prerequisite for the sustainable development of the digital economy.”

The enforcement of the 2025 Personal Data Protection Law marks an important step in establishing a transparent and robust legal framework aligned with international standards. 

The Ministry of Public Security plays a central role in state management of personal data protection, ensuring security, order and law enforcement. However, responsibility for protecting personal data does not lie solely with regulators but is a shared responsibility across society, especially the business community.

Lich stressed that compliance should be viewed as a new driver for development rather than a barrier. It contributes to a safe digital data market and encourages citizens to share data. It also standardizes corporate governance; opens opportunities for the Compliance Technology (RegTech) market and the regulatory technology (RegTech) market; and builds digital trust as a foundation for broad digital transformation across society.

The long road to compliance

However, for legal documents to translate into real-world practice, the ultimate issue is not enforcement itself but whether people are truly safe, their data is protected, and their privacy is respected in the digital environment. 

Nguyen Quang Dong cited a survey by Tuoi Tre newspaper related to the musician–Grab driver case, showing that 1,790 out of 4,500 respondents supported the driver’s actions.

Even from this simple survey, it is clear that “the journey to turn legal regulations into everyday compliance remains very long,” the IPS director noted. 

Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen communication and public awareness of the Personal Data Protection Law so that individuals, businesses and state agencies can better understand and comply with its provisions.

In his article published in Tuoi Tre, Lawyer Hoang Ha commented that an alarming habit has taken root in society. Many people treat filming and posting images of others online as normal, without realizing they are violating others’ personal rights.

Du Lam