Vietnam Fines Up To $1,200 for Unauthorized Sharing of News Articles Online

Vietnam's government has enacted Decree 174/2026, which stipulates penalties for violations in the postal, telecommunications, electronic transaction, and information technology sectors. Specifically, Article 95, Clause 1, Point d, introduces fines ranging from 20 to 30 million VND for individuals who "provide or share journalistic works" on social media without the consent of the copyright owner, or if the work has been banned or ordered for confiscation.

The decree mandates the removal of infringing content as a remedial measure and takes effect from July 1. The regulation aims to address the unauthorized exploitation of journalistic content, which includes verbatim reposting, full-article screenshots, video adaptations, or content re-reading for monetization, all without proper authorization.

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This means re-uploading journalistic content to social media in the form of copying the entire article, taking screenshots of the whole text, editing videos, reading the content aloud for profit, or 'cooking' it into another product, but in reality, illegally exploiting the intellectual property of news agencies.

Lawyer and Doctor Nguyen Thi Kim Vinh from TNJ Law Firm clarified that the decree does not prohibit citizens from accessing or disseminating legitimate journalistic information. Instead, it primarily targets the illicit use of copyrighted journalistic products. "What is meant here is the act of re-uploading journalistic content to social media in the form of copying the entire article, taking screenshots of the whole text, editing videos, or reading the content aloud for profit, essentially exploiting the intellectual property of news agencies without permission," Vinh explained.

Under Vietnam's Intellectual Property Law, news agencies and authors hold property rights over their creations. Reproduction, distribution, or public communication of these works generally requires permission, except for legally defined exceptions like fair use for commentary, research, teaching, or properly sourced news reporting. The decree seeks to protect the significant investments news organizations make in producing quality content, which is often undermined by platforms that copy material to gain views and advertising revenue.

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Not all acts of sharing journalistic information are subject to penalties. What Decree 174 targets is the act of illegally exploiting journalistic content, which replaces the original source or causes damage to the copyright holder.