Vietnam’s new personal data protection law

Duration: 22.29

Host: Katherine Ke, KWM Register Foreign Lawyer

Guest: Duong Thi Mai Huong, Frasers Law Company Partner, Vietnam

Summary:

Vietnam is changing how personal data is protected. The new law, effective from January 2026, will affect local and foreign businesses.

In the latest episode of KWM’s View from Asia, Katherine Ke and Duong Thi Mai Huong unpack the new rules and what they mean for anyone doing business in Vietnam. They discuss the scope of the law, what counts as consent, who needs to comply, what documents must be filed and the real risk of penalties.

How does the law compare to others in Asia - and what should you do now? You can read their key takeaways in full here: https://kwm.digital/data-protection-vietnam

Key topics:

• Vietnam’s journey towards data protection and an overview of the new law — Law No. 91/2025/QH15 on Personal Data Protection (PDPL)
• Extra-territorial reach and implications for foreign businesses
• The strict requirements around consent — what counts, how to prove it, and why it matters
• Compliance obligations, including mandatory data impact assessments
• The consequences of non-compliance — with significant penalties on the horizon.

Tune in to hear what this means for your business and why planning ahead is essential.

For more regional insights, subscribe to KWM's View from Asia: https://kwm.digital/subscribe-view-from-asia