Social media users and platforms that share journalistic, literary, artistic or published works without authorization from copyright holders could face fines of up to VND 30 million ($1,180) under a new Vietnamese government decree.

A common practice today sees news articles rapidly reposted across social media groups and fanpages immediately after publication in an effort to attract engagement. In many cases, the original media organizations are neither asked for permission nor properly credited as required by law.

That practice is set to change following the government’s issuance of Decree 174/2026/ND-CP on administrative penalties in the postal and telecommunications sectors, which will take effect on July 1, 2026.

Under Article 95 of the decree, social media platforms and users that provide or share journalistic, literary, artistic works or publications without the consent of intellectual property rights holders - or distribute content that has not been authorized for circulation, has been banned or confiscated - may face fines ranging from VND 20 million to VND 30 million ($790-$1,180).

The same penalty range also applies to the misuse of social media to produce content resembling journalistic reporting, investigative pieces or interviews.

In addition, fines of VND 20 million to VND 30 million may be imposed for a range of other violations, including sharing fake or misleading information, defamatory content, material promoting social evils, prostitution or human trafficking, obscene or depraved content, and information deemed harmful to public morality, social ethics or community health if not serious enough for criminal prosecution.

The decree also targets content depicting graphic violence, murder scenes, accidents or horror imagery in excessive detail, as well as advertising or promoting banned goods and services.

Posting maps of Vietnam that fail to fully or accurately represent national sovereignty may also result in penalties under the new rules.

Other violations subject to the same fine include sharing links to prohibited online content and failing to remove unlawful or harmful information affecting organizations, individuals or children when requested by competent authorities. The regulation applies to account owners, content channel operators, community page administrators and managers of online groups.

Press agencies themselves may also face fines of VND 20 million to VND 30 million if they fail to notify authorities when establishing accounts, pages, channels or groups on domestic or foreign social media platforms in accordance with regulations.

The decree further outlines penalties related to licenses for providing social networking services and certification requirements.

Organizations may be fined between VND 20 million and VND 30 million for failing to update or amend social media service licenses or notifications, using expired licenses or operating large-scale social networks without completing licensing procedures as required.

More severe penalties ranging from VND 50 million to VND 70 million ($1,970-$2,760) apply to organizations that provide social networking services without proper licenses or fail to complete licensing and notification procedures after acquiring social media platforms.

Additional sanctions may include mandatory recovery or return of domain names linked to violations.

Le My