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From July 1, 2026: Online Sellers and Livestreamers Must Be Identified – New Regulations under the 2026 E-Commerce Law
On December 10, the National Assembly passed the Law on E-Commerce (consisting of 7 chapters and 41 articles), which will take effect from July 1, 2026.
The Law establishes a comprehensive legal framework governing all e-commerce activities in Vietnam, notably introducing mandatory electronic identification and authentication (VNeID) for livestreamers, online sellers, and e-commerce platforms.
Regulations on livestream sales and identity verification are clearly stipulated in the Law on E-Commerce, including:
Clause 4, Article 22: E-commerce platforms must verify the identity of livestreamers in accordance with laws on electronic identification and authentication; foreign livestreamers must be verified using lawful identification documents.
Clause 1, Article 24: Livestreamers are required to provide information for platforms to verify their identities.
Clause 1, Article 21: Sellers on e-commerce platforms must provide information for identity verification.
Clause 1, Article 25 and Clause 1, Article 26: Affiliate marketers are also subject to identity verification requirements.
➡ Accordingly, from July 1, 2026, all livestreamers, online sellers, and affiliate marketers must complete electronic identification.
The Law on E-Commerce provides clear definitions:
Clause 10, Article 3: Livestream sales refer to live broadcasting activities aimed at advertising or introducing goods, allowing viewers to place orders.
Clause 11, Article 3: A livestream seller is the individual who directly appears in the livestream session.
Clauses 2, 3, 4, and 5, Article 3: Define different types of e-commerce platforms, including direct-sale platforms, intermediary platforms, social networks with e-commerce activities, and integrated platforms.
➡ These provisions clarify responsibility allocation in each type of activity.
E-commerce platform operators must:
Publicly disclose livestream operation rules (Clause 1).
Establish mechanisms to receive and resolve viewer complaints (Clause 2).
Provide warning tools during livestreams for goods posing safety risks (Clause 3).
Verify the identity of livestreamers in accordance with the law (Clause 4).
Require sellers to provide written confirmation of advertising content for goods subject to prior verification (Clause 5).
Immediately suspend livestreams or remove content upon detecting violations or at the request of competent authorities (Clause 6).
Store images and audio recordings of livestream sessions for at least one (01) year (Clause 7).
➡ Social media platforms offering livestream sales such as Facebook, TikTok, Shopee Live, etc., must fully comply with these obligations.
Sellers are required to:
Provide complete documentation proving eligibility to conduct business and product quality compliance (Clause 1).
Provide written confirmation of advertising content for goods subject to mandatory confirmation (Clause 2).
Immediately stop livestream sales upon detecting violations or at the request of competent authorities (Clause 3).
➡ Sellers cannot shift legal responsibility to KOLs or livestreamers.
Livestreamers must:
Provide information for identity verification (Clause 1).
Comply with the livestream operation rules of the platform (Clause 2).
Refuse cooperation if sellers fail to provide valid documentation (Clause 3).
Not provide misleading information regarding product use, origin, price, or quality (Clause 4).
Comply strictly with verified advertising content (Clause 5).
Refrain from using language, images, or behavior contrary to public morals and customs (Clause 6).
Stop livestreaming upon detecting violations or at the request of competent authorities (Clause 7).
➡ This marks the first time Vietnamese law directly imposes legal liability on livestreamers.
Platforms such as Shopee, TikTok, Facebook, Zalo, etc., must:
Verify the identity of sellers (Point (c), Clause 1, Article 17).
Review and moderate content before publication (Point (đ), Clause 1, Article 17).
Store electronic contract data for at least three (03) years (Point (i), Clause 2, Article 17).
Temporarily suspend or terminate accounts at the request of competent authorities (Point (e), Clause 2, Article 17).
Store transaction data when operating as an e-commerce social network (Point (c), Clause 2, Article 18).
➡ Platform responsibilities are significantly tightened compared to previous regulations.
The Law explicitly prohibits:
Fraudulent or deceptive practices on e-commerce platforms (Clause 1).
Trading in counterfeit goods, prohibited goods, goods infringing intellectual property rights, or goods of unclear origin (Clause 2).
➡ In case of violations, sellers, livestreamers, and platforms may all be held liable.
Violators may be subject to:
Administrative penalties (Point (a), Clause 1).
Content removal, access blocking, or account suspension (Point (b), Clause 1).
Mandatory remedial measures and compensation for damages (Points (c) and (d), Clause 1).
Criminal prosecution if criminal elements are present (Point (đ), Clause 1).
➡ This is one of the strongest new provisions, granting authorities greater power to regulate and clean up the livestream commerce market.
The Law takes effect from July 1, 2026 (Article 40).
E-commerce websites and applications registered before this date may continue operating until June 30, 2027 (Clause 1, Article 41).
The 2026 Law on E-Commerce marks a major shift by:
Clearly defining legal responsibilities of sellers, livestreamers, and platforms.
Mandating electronic identification (VNeID) prior to selling or livestreaming.
Enhancing transparency and preventing counterfeit goods, fraud, and online scams.
Strengthening regulation of cross-border e-commerce and foreign platforms.
This legal framework lays the foundation for a transparent, sustainable, and consumer-protective e-commerce market in Vietnam.
