- Vietnam requires that video ads and animations be skippable or closeable after a maximum of five seconds.
- Decree 342/2025 mandates clear closing buttons, prohibits false icons, and reinforces advertising hygiene.
- Platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Netflix, and Prime Video will have to adapt their formats in the Asian country.
- The measure could influence future regulatory debates on digital advertising in Spain and the European Union.
The new regulations of digital advertising in Vietnam It has once again brought the spotlight to how major platforms display ads to their users. The country has approved a decree that completely changes the rules of the game for services such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Netflix or Amazon Prime Videoby limiting the amount of time a viewer may be forced to stand in front of an advertisement.
As of February 2026, Vietnamese legislation sets in five seconds is the maximum waiting time before being able to close or skip a video or slideshow ad. This decision, focused on reducing intrusive formats and strengthening user rights, could serve as a reference for future discussions in Spain and the European Union on how to regulate the most aggressive online ads.
What changes with the new advertising law in Vietnam
The core of the reform is the Decree 342/2025 (Nghị định 342/2025/NĐ-CP), published at the end of December and which will begin to be applied on February 15, 2026This standard regulates more strictly the intrusive online advertising, especially those that appear at varying times or positions within a website or app, covering the main content or seriously hindering navigation.
Until now, video ads were still common in Vietnam. impossible to omit between 20 and 30 seconds on streaming platforms and social media. With the new decree, the situation changes: any video advertisement or ad in the form of a sequence of moving images It must be able to be closed or skipped after a maximum of five seconds. since its appearance on screen, without exception.
Skipable ads in a maximum of five seconds
The rule of the 5 seconds This affects both pre-roll ads (ads that play before the content) and ads that appear during or after videos. According to the rule, platforms cannot force viewers to stay longer than that amount of time before having a real opportunity to... Close or skip the ad.
This marks the end of video formats non-skippable 15, 20 or 30 seconds which are still prevalent in many services. To guarantee this, the decree mandates the implementation of a close or skip button Clearly visible, it should activate after five seconds. The idea is to give the user control and not force them to watch long ads if they don't want to.
Clear buttons and a ban on misleading icons
One of the most striking aspects of the regulation is the so-called "advertising hygiene"The text details that the interface must include a button or icon to close the ad. function with a single interactionNo additional tricks. Explicitly, the decree It prohibits the use of fake, confusing, or difficult-to-identify closure icons., a common practice in some banners and pop-up windows.
Stricter conditions also apply to ads that are not displayed in a fixed location—for example, pop-ups or elements that scroll over the content. These formats will not be able to to totally or substantially hide the main content nor prevent access to information, and must always offer an easy way to close them. In the case of static ads or banners, the user can close them immediately, with no waiting time.
Obligations for YouTube, social networks and streaming services
The measure directly impacts global platforms operating in Vietnam, such as YouTube, Facebook, TikTok, Netflix or Amazon Prime VideoAll of them will need to review their ad systems to comply with the five-second limit and the new configuration of close buttons and reporting options.
For services that base a significant portion of their revenue on non-skippable video formatsThe change may result in a drop in advertising revenue per impression. However, nothing prevents the platforms from trying to compensate for this loss. increasing the number of ads or by dividing long blocks into several linked five-second segments. A single brand could, for example, break up a 15-second ad into three parts, as long as each part can be skipped after the brief interval.
24-hour deadlines and possible penalties
When Vietnamese authorities detect irregularities and request the removal of advertising deemed illegal, The platforms and companies involved will have a maximum of 24 hours to actThis margin applies both to the removal of specific ads and to the blocking of services related to those campaigns.
If the deadline is not met, the relevant ministries—primarily the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism and the Ministry of Public Security of Vietnam— they will be able to apply technical blocking measures against infringing ads or services, in addition to administrative sanctions. Telecommunications operators and internet providers are also obligated to cooperate in blocking when they receive a formal order.
Relevance for startups and marketing strategies
The new framework also directly affects the startups and digital marketing companies that operate in Vietnam or use the country as a testing ground for campaigns in Southeast Asia. From the date the decree comes into effect, they will have to prioritize less invasive formats, creative ideas that add value from the first few seconds and strategies based more on the relevance of the message than on the impossibility of omitting the ad.
For European companies interested in expanding in the region, a thorough understanding of these regulations is key to avoid penalties and optimize advertising investmentUnderstanding how users react to shorter blocks, which formats generate less rejection, and the weight of the reporting option can serve as a preview of trends that, over time, could be replicated in other markets.
Vietnam's regulatory move sets a clear precedent by mandating that all video or animated advertisements be skippable after five seconds, reinforcing the advertising hygiene and forces platforms and advertisers to take user experience more seriously; a scenario that, although currently limited to one Southeast Asian country, fuels the debate about whether Spain and the rest of Europe will move towards similar limits for the most intrusive formats of online advertising.
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