Asking if a restaurant is expensive or cheap: What's the line between sharing and defamation?

The recent surge of online discussions in Vietnam regarding the pricing of food and beverages, particularly in tourist areas, highlights a growing tension between consumer expectations and business realities. Cases involving expensive red crab in Sam Son and a high-priced dessert in Hue have ignited passionate debates across social media platforms. While some netizens defend these prices, citing factors like location, quality, and seasonal demand, others vehemently argue they are exorbitant. This public discourse, amplified by social media, often compels local authorities to intervene, seeking to verify claims and mediate disputes. From a legal standpoint, as emphasized by lawyer Pham Thi Kim Truong, businesses are obligated to clearly display their prices. However, the inherent variability of pricing, influenced by numerous economic factors, means that what one person considers expensive, another might find reasonable. The crucial distinction lies between sharing a personal experience or opinion and making unsubstantiated claims that could harm a business's reputation. Vietnam's legal framework prioritizes negotiation and agreement between parties. If a customer agrees to a price before consumption and does not raise objections at the time, later publicizing negative, potentially false, information could be viewed as a violation. This situation underscores the delicate balance between freedom of expression online and the protection of businesses' livelihoods, especially in sectors vital to tourism and local economies.

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If there is evidence proving that the parties agreed on the price, or completed payment without any immediate complaint about the price to the seller, then the act of providing untrue information may be considered a violation of the law.