Vietnam is set to become one of a growing list of countries mulling strict rules for children under 16 using social media. The country announced on Friday (July 24, 2026), that under a draft decree, those under 16 will not be allowed to post, comment, share or react to content on social media. Under the new decree, they will, however, be able to view content only through accounts registered and supervised by their parents or legal guardians.

According to a 2022 study by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), Vietnamese youth spent an average of 5.9 hours a day on social media, and about 16.2 per cent frequently spent time thinking about or planning their next social media session. In the study, which polled 173 youths aged 16–30, 75 per cent of children under 12 were already using social media. Under the draft decree, parents would also be responsible for monitoring their child's screen time and online activity. Platforms and apps would have to introduce age-verification systems and ensure minors are shown only age-appropriate content. Platforms will also need to proactively detect, warn against and block access to content related to violence, pornography, gambling, drugs, suicide and other harmful material.

Platforms will also need to cooperate with authorities by sharing relevant information and creating reporting mechanisms to detect cases involving child abuse and exploitation. The decree, if implemented, will also impose stricter rules on online gaming for children under 16. Children will not be allowed more than one hour a day for online gaming, with the limit imposed by gaming sites. Children will also be required to register gaming accounts through a parent or legal guardian.

Deputy Culture, Sports and Tourism Minister Phan Tam said the government aimed to establish a "clear, transparent, stable and practical" legal framework that promotes innovation while improving child safety and state oversight in the digital environment.

Vietnam has joined countries such as France, Australia, China and Indonesia, and around 16 others, in imposing strict rules on minors' social media and screen-time usage.

Australia was the first country to impose such restrictions on minors using social media, banning it for under-16s since December 2025. Brazil followed with a similar rule in March 2026. In China, social media and internet usage by minors has been progressively restricted since 2019. Indonesia and Malaysia, too, took measures to exclude under-16s from social media platforms in March and June respectively.

Turkey took similar measures in April, banning those under 15 from using social media platforms and requiring platforms to use age-verification mechanisms to prevent under-15s from accessing them; those aged 15 to 17 can use social media only with parental consent. While the UK is considering a ban on social media for under-16s, European nations weighing similar moves include Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Denmark and Ireland. Canada, too, wants to set the minimum age for social media usage at 16. Spain, Portugal and Italy are also considering similar bans.