A Legal Pushback Against Long, Forced Ads
Long, unskippable ads on platforms like YouTube and Twitch may soon be a thing of the past in Vietnam.
Under a new government regulation, Vietnam will limit unskippable online video and moving-image advertisements to a maximum of five seconds. Any ad running longer than that must allow users to skip it.
The move directly targets the increasingly long “forced” ads that users have complained about on major digital platforms, where non-skippable formats can currently run anywhere from seven to 30 seconds.
Rules Take Effect from February 15
The Vietnamese government recently set out the changes in Decree 342/2025. This decree provides detailed provisions under the country’s Advertising Law, specifically for digital advertising.
Sources report that the decree will come into effect from 15 February 2026. Henceforth, ads containing unskippable videos, or videos longer than 5 seconds, will no longer affect user experience on online platforms operating in the nation.
Reports state that the rule applies majorly to digital platforms and online video services that allow moving-image advertisements.
Static Ads and Pop-ups Also Targeted
The regulation does not stop at video ads. Platforms will also be prohibited from making users wait before closing static image advertisements, such as banners.
Pop-up ads that block the screen—both fully and partially—will face stricter rules. Pop-ups will be required to have clear, visible close buttons. They must also be dismissible with a single, straightforward action.
The use of fake, hidden, or deliberately confusing close icons is not allowed.
More User Controls and Faster Takedowns
Decree 342/2025 also introduces new obligations around user choice and enforcement.
Online advertisements must include visible icons and clear instructions that allow users to report illegal ads, opt out of certain ad types, or indicate that an ad is inappropriate.
The obligations require platforms, advertisers and advertisement service providers to remove ads deemed illegal within 24 hours of notice from authorities. In case there is a failure in compliance, enforcement agencies hold the ability to block said ads and related services.
Similarly, upon receiving an official request, telecommunications companies and internet service providers must restrict illegal advertising access within 24 hours.
Online Reactions
Reactions online to the government’s intervention in digital advertising norms suggest wide support for the move. Users expressed their frustration over the increasing length of unskippable ads on video platforms like YouTube.
They claim such ads hamper viewer experiences. On YouTube and other platforms, advertisements are a key source of revenue for creators. However, the new rules are not viewed as a way of banning ads completely, but rather as a move that could stop ads from going too far.
Even if platforms respond by increasing the number of skippable ads, the regulation highlights how Vietnam’s authorities are willing to step. Especially where digital ad practices are seen as harming user experience.
For now, Vietnam stands out as one of the few countries to place a clear legal cap on the length of online ads.
Find a discussion here:
Unskippable Ads are officially ending in Vietnam due to a new law that comes into effect next month!
byu/ahrienby inVietNam
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