Big Tech warns Vietnam data rules risk 'damage' to digital economy

Strict EU-style privacy law could also fall afoul of free trade agreements

20211115 vietnam internet smartphone computer

A resident in Ho Chi Minh City uses three devices to go online in November 2021. Vietnam has since introduced a contentious law to guard data privacy. © Lien Hoang

LIEN HOANG, Nikkei staff writer

HO CHI MINH CITY -- Internet users in Vietnam may see more pop-ups the next time they access TikTok or Amazon after Hanoi follows Europe and China in enacting extensive rules governing how companies use and move data.

Vietnam's draft Decree on Personal Data Protection will force businesses to receive state approval if they want to process sensitive data or transfer data overseas. Businesses also would need to ask users for explicit consent to collect data, such as through windows that pop up on apps or websites.

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