Governance Meets Reality: Vietnam’s Evolving Tech Governance

After several years of developing strategic visions and legislative frameworks, Vietnam has entered a new phase – implementing a comprehensive governance architecture for digital technologies. Several landmark laws entered into force during this period, including the Law on Personal Data Protection, the Law on the Digital Technology Industry, and the Law on Artificial Intelligence. Together with the National Financial Inclusion Strategy and a series of implementing regulations, these reforms illustrate how Vietnam’s approach to tech governance is evolving from promoting digital transformation to governing its societal impacts.

Key Policy Trends

AI Governance: Embedding Human-Centred Principles in Law

The country’s AI governance framework has moved towards a more formal, risk-based model that places greater emphasis on human oversight, transparency and user protection. The Law on the Digital Technology Industry (effective from 1 January 2026) and the Law on Artificial Intelligence (which entered into force on 1 March 2026) introduce, for the first time, a comprehensive legal framework for AI development and deployment based on human-centred principles. Both laws emphasise that AI should serve as a tool to support people rather than replace them, and that meaningful human oversight should be maintained in decisions with significant social or economic implications. AI systems are classified according to risk levels, users must be informed when interacting with AI, and AI-generated content must be clearly identifiable.

At the same time, these frameworks seek to balance innovation with accountability. While the Government offers strong incentives for AI research and commercialisation, it simultaneously introduces safeguards covering transparency, human oversight, and risk management. For businesses, this creates a supportive environment that promotes confident investment, collaboration, and the launch of new products, while enhancing expectations for responsible governance and compliance. The legislation also recognises that AI should contribute to social inclusion. It encourages AI applications in healthcare, education, public services, and support for vulnerable populations while aiming to reduce the digital divide and preserve cultural diversity.

This approach demonstrates that Vietnam increasingly views AI governance not simply as an industrial policy issue but as a broader societal challenge. It also reflects a wider international trend towards responsible AI governance while adapting global principles to Vietnam’s own development priorities.

Cybersecurity and Data Protection: Strengthening Rights and Online Safety

Vietnam’s cybersecurity and data protection framework is expanding beyond the protection of systems and national security to place greater emphasis on individual rights, data security and the safety of vulnerable users online. The Law on Personal Data Protection, which came into effect on 1 January 2026, establishes Vietnam’s dedicated legal framework governing personal data. The legislation strengthens individuals’ rights over their data, requires greater transparency in data processing, and imposes stricter obligations on organisations handling personal information.

This broader emphasis on protection is also reflected in The Law on Cybersecurity 2025, effective from 1 July 2026. The Law updates and codifies a range of new violations arising from the rapid development and application of digital technologies, thereby addressing previous legal gaps. It also introduces data classification provisions and recognises data security as an integral component of national cybersecurity. For the first time, Article 35 explicitly incorporates provisions to protect vulnerable groups in cyberspace, including children, older persons, and individuals with cognitive impairments.

These reforms represent an important step towards building public trust in the digital economy. It establishes an important legal foundation for a safer, more inclusive, and human-centred online environment in line with international trends in digital governance.

Digital Government: Towards Integrated Public Services

Vietnam is also strengthening the governance architecture for how data is organised and shared across government. Under Decision No. 11/2026/QD-TTg, issued on 28 March 2026 and effective from 19 May 2026, the Government established a list of 20 critical national databases, including the National Digital Identity Database and the National AI Database, creating the foundations for a more integrated digital government.

The Law on Digital Transformation, which takes effect on 1 July 2026, further institutionalises nationwide data sharing by introducing the “declare once” principle, allowing citizens to provide information to government only once while enabling authorised agencies to reuse verified data across public services. Under this principle, individuals and businesses will no longer need to repeatedly submit the same information when dealing with different government agencies. Instead, information already available within government systems can be securely reused through interconnected databases.

Although technically modest, this reform represents an important shift in public administration. Government agencies are being mandated to be responsible for securely sharing verified information. The result is expected to be lower administrative costs, more efficient public services, and a better user experience.

Digital economy: Formalising Digital Assets and Technology Commercialisation

The first half of 2026 also witnessed important progress in regulating areas that previously operated without dedicated legal frameworks. For the first time, digital assets – including virtual assets and crypto-assets – receive legal recognition and protection under Vietnamese law (the Law on the Digital Technology Industry). This brings these activities more clearly within the formal legal system.

Meanwhile, amendments to the Law on Intellectual Property, effective from 1 April 2026, introduces a fundamental shift in policy by treating research outcomes as tradable assets rather than merely protected rights. Scientific and technological outputs can now become business assets that may be valued, bought and sold, used as collateral for financing, or contributed as capital – particularly in relation to emerging technologies, digital technologies, and AI.

The Law Amending and Supplementing a Number of Articles of the Law on Technology Transfer, which came into effect on 1 April 2026, continues Vietnam’s efforts to remove administrative barriers and improve the effectiveness of tech governance. The amendments broadened the definition of digital technology, incorporating the concept of green technology into the legal framework, and redefining technology transfer beyond the mere sale or licensing of technology.

These reforms strengthen the institutional foundations of Vietnam’s innovation ecosystem and support the country’s ambition to move towards higher value-added, tech-driven growth.

Cross-cutting Governance Trends

Digital Sovereignty: Strengthening Domestic Digital Capabilities

Vietnam is focusing greater attention on enhancing domestic governance related to the digital infrastructure, data systems, and technological capabilities that support its digital transformation. This reflects a broader focus on digital sovereignty, combining enhanced governance of critical digital systems with efforts to develop domestic technological capabilities.

This direction is reflected through several provisions found in Law on Digital Transformation, the revised Law on Cybersecurity, and the Law on High Technology, which all came into effect on 1 July 2026. This marks a major milestone in strengthening Vietnam’s institutional framework for building a digital nation.

The emphasis on sovereignty is also visible in the governance of public digital infrastructure. The development and operation of digital systems, platforms, national databases, and digital services must comply with the National Digital Architecture Framework, the National Data Architecture Framework, and the National Data Governance Framework, ensuring interoperability, secure data management, and coherent digital governance across the public sector.

Structural Reform: Consolidating Governance of Strategic Technologies

Vietnam continued implementing a broad government restructuring programme aimed at streamlining the organisational structure of ministries, agencies and provinces. These institutional reforms have also reshaped the country’s tech governance architecture.

A notable milestone was Decree No. 225/2026/ND-CP, which significantly redefined responsibilities for technology policymaking. Most notably, the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) was assigned formal responsibility for the state management of AI for the first time. Under the Decree, the Ministry is responsible for developing and overseeing the national AI infrastructure and other digital technology infrastructure supporting AI products and services, as well as overseeing and supervising AI-related activities, while also leading policy development for Vietnam’s semiconductor industry.

International Coordination: Pairing Domestic Sovereignty with Cross-Border Cooperation

The revised Law on Cybersecurity establishes a stronger legal basis for expanding international cooperation on cybersecurity while upholding Vietnam’s independence, sovereignty, and national interests. The Law also incorporates the core principles of the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime (the Hanoi Convention) into domestic legislation, reflecting Vietnam’s commitment to strengthening international cooperation in preventing and combating cybercrime. Beyond enhancing Vietnam’s credibility and standing in global cybersecurity governance, the Law provides the legal framework necessary to expand international collaboration in cybercrime prevention, investigation, and enforcement, while improving the country’s capacity to respond to increasingly complex cross-border cyber threats.

Moving Forward

The country’s new policy architecture reflects a modern approach to tech governance that places people at the centre, strengthens data sovereignty, promotes responsible AI governance, reinforces cybersecurity, and balances technological innovation with inclusive and responsible digital development. The country’s policy agenda is increasingly focusing on how emerging technologies should be governed to promote innovation while protecting rights, strengthening public trust, and ensuring that technological progress benefits society as a whole.

Looking ahead, the upcoming challenges will focus on the effectiveness of translating these frameworks into coherent implementation within both government and industry. As various laws and regulations come into effect simultaneously, it will be crucial to ensure effective regulatory coordination, enhance implementation capacity, and provide clear guidance on new obligations. These factors will play a significant role in determining Vietnam’s ability to foster innovation while safeguarding rights, bolstering digital trust, and ensuring that technological advancements yield wider societal benefits.

The views and recommendations expressed in this article, published in September 2026, are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and position of the Tech for Good Institute.