YouTubers Quang Linh Vlogs and Hang Du Muc have been fined 70 million VND each (approximately $3,000) for violating advertising regulations.

The fines were issued by the Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information under the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism on March 20.

The fines were imposed according to Clause 5, Article 34 of Decree No. 38/2021/ND-CP, as amended by Decree No. 129/2021/ND-CP, concerning administrative penalties in the fields of culture and advertising.

Both influencers were found guilty of false and misleading advertising that caused public confusion regarding product quality.

The controversy arose when Hang Du Muc, Quang Linh Vlogs, and Miss Thuy Tien participated in a livestream promoting Kera vegetable candy, produced by Asia Life Corporation (Dak Lak) and distributed by CER Group.

During the promotion, they claimed that "one candy is equivalent to one plate of vegetables," which sparked significant backlash for being inaccurate and misleading. Following public outrage, all three individuals issued apologies.

On March 14, the Department of Broadcasting, Television and Electronic Information summoned Nguyen Thi Thai Hang (Hang Du Muc), Pham Quang Linh (Quang Linh Vlogs), and beauty queen Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien to clarify their involvement in the livestreams.

After the meeting, the department confirmed that all three admitted their mistakes. Hang Du Muc and Quang Linh Vlogs were identified as the main hosts of the livestreams, while Thuy Tien participated as a guest speaker.

Based on the nature and severity of the violations, the authorities fined Pham Quang Linh and Nguyen Thi Thai Hang for disseminating false advertising content. Although Nguyen Thuc Thuy Tien was not fined, she was formally reminded to comply with legal regulations on advertising and online information sharing, according to Decree 147.

Both Quang Linh Vlogs and Hang Du Muc are required to publicly correct the misleading information and refrain from similar advertising practices in the future.

Le My