Celebrity endorsers must take responsibility commensurate with their influence.

advertising - Photo 1.

Quang Linh Vlogs and Hang Du Muc advertised heavily on TikTok before both were prosecuted - Photo: TTO

On May 10, the National Assembly discussed the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Advertising Law, which proposed increasing responsibility for advertisers, especially celebrities and influencers (KOLs, KOCs).

KOLs and KOCs cannot be irresponsible with their influence.

According to experts, influencers are not only the ones who convey advertising content, but also the ones who share information, express opinions and lead trends. The spread of their content can create far-reaching social impacts, both positive and negative.

Therefore, they need to be equipped with specific instructions, and at the same time be clearly aware of their roles and responsibilities towards the community - those who have trusted and supported them.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Dao - permanent vice president of the Vietnam Advertising Association - said that controlling advertising activities of celebrities and influencers on social networks is urgent, contributing to strengthening the protection of consumer rights.

After many working sessions, up to now, the business community has highly appreciated the receptiveness of the authorities in receiving information about the draft law. However, it should be emphasized that the draft Advertising Law covers many different areas, including advertising activities of cross-border platforms.

As expected, the revised Law on Advertising will be voted on and passed by the National Assembly on June 11.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Anh Hong - e-commerce director of the 24hStore retail system expressed her agreement that the National Assembly's consideration of tightening the advertising responsibilities of celebrities is completely reasonable and necessary.

In today's business environment, false advertising not only causes direct damage to consumers but also affects legitimate businesses. Large, chain-based brands always invest in product quality, after-sales service and honest communication, so resetting standards for influencers is a way to help filter market noise.

"Celebrities or KOLs need to take responsibility commensurate with their influence. When they advertise a product, it's not just a few words on livestream - it's an impact on consumer behavior. If they don't understand the product or just accept the contract for the sake of it, the consequences will not stop at monetary loss for consumers," said Ms. Hong.

Building a legal corridor to recognize legitimate professions

Mr. Tony Truong - Solution Director of Phygital Labs Technology Company - believes that a reasonable balance between commercial factors and consumer protection responsibilities is what managers need to aim for.

In the past, when products were imported and distributed through formal systems, it was easier to control quality, trace origin and identify the responsible entity if any problems occurred.

However, in the current context, when more and more products of unknown origin are widely distributed through e-commerce platforms or online sales on social networks, ensuring the rights and safety of consumers is quite complicated.

Therefore, it is necessary to build a legal corridor to standardize advertising activities through influencers. These regulations are not intended to be extremely restrictive, but to establish clear limits and specific responsibilities for relevant parties, especially for influencers with great influence in the community.

According to experts, Vietnam needs to build a centralized management system specifically for influencers. A mechanism that can allow for the issuance of practice certificates, identification registration, and clear management codes. This will not only help the State monitor more effectively, but also contribute to professionalizing product promotion activities, improving responsibility and information transparency for consumers.

At the same time, this management system also protects the influencers themselves, helping them operate sustainably, transparently and be recognized as a legitimate profession in the digital economy .

Lawyer Dau Duc Ninh ( Binh Duong Provincial Bar Association):

Support criminal prosecution of KOLs and KOCs who advertise falsely to appropriate property

Not only has the false advertising of KOLs and KOCs caused serious damage and eroded consumer trust. Among them, there are those who have made large illegal profits, so light administrative penalties will not be enough of a deterrent and will not create pressure.

Therefore, in case it is determined that these people have taken advantage of their fame to exploit the trust of others, falsely advertised to sell goods and thereby appropriated the property of customers and consumers, they can be criminally prosecuted.