The story of the machine breaking down during testing and Ngoc Vy's principle of not praising bad things are two situations that the new regulations touch.

From May 15, 2026, influencers who introduce products without using or understanding them may be fined from 80 to 100 million VND, with a request for a public apology in writing. The fine is in Decree 87/2026/ND-CP, a document dedicated to penalizing this group, following the revised Advertising Law effective from January 1, 2026.

For viewers, it's a matter of law. For reviewers, it touches on very specific situations. In the talk show "That time I missed my words", reviewer Ngoc Vy told of the time she tested a robot vacuum cleaner model: the machine's recognition was not good, she had to ask to send another machine, test it again and again until it was fine before uploading it to the picture. According to her, that was the stage when she was still working, had not yet created a personal channel, and the unit she worked for had a paid cooperation with the brand. Vy did not state a specific time. She also said she didn't dare mention much about the first device.

Ngoc Vy shared in the talk show that she accidentally said something

She said the principle she has kept from the first day of her career until now is: "I will not praise things that are already bad." According to Vy, she can not talk much about a weakness and prioritize points that suit the needs of viewers, but she does not agree to praise exactly what she feels is not good, even if the brand wants it to.

The revised Advertising Law sets out specific obligations for this type of situation. Influencers delivering advertisements must verify the credibility of the advertiser, check product documentation, do not recommend products that have not been used or understood, and inform about the advertisement immediately before and during implementation. When advertising, social network users must also have signs that distinguish advertising or sponsored content from other content. Advertising content in general must be honest, accurate and not misleading about features and quality.

Decree 87/2026/ND-CP divides fines into three groups of acts. From 40 to 60 million VND if the advertiser's reliability is not verified, product documents are not checked or advertising information is incomplete. From 60 to 80 million VND if advertising is not announced. From 80 to 100 million VND if you introduce a product that you have not used or do not fully understand. In addition to fines, violators must also pay back illegal profits, if any, and publicly apologize in writing.

The first question is who belongs to this category. Decree 55/2024/ND-CP defines an influencer as an expert, reputable person or socially noted person in a field, sponsored by a business in any form to use images, advice, and recommendations to promote sales. People with a significant number of followers, or whose accounts are eligible to participate in advertising programs on digital platforms, fall into this category. Whether the machine sent for review by the company is considered "sponsored" or not is something professionals need to ask further. Lawyer Nguyen Van Duy believes that the "profitable" element in advertising is widely understood, not just limited to money received from brands. In the US, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) instructs that just being given a free product and mentioning it in the post must be public, and the announcement must be placed right next to the content, not in the bio or after the “see more” button.

The second question is how long it takes to be considered fully understood. Article 15a does not state the minimum period of use. Vy said she only changed her mind about a hair dryer costing tens of millions of dong after actually using it, although before that she wondered why anyone would spend that amount of money.

Vy's story is that the test machine was faulty, but the replacement machine was fine. The opposite situation was mentioned by a content creator at a conference to implement the E-Commerce Law in Ho Chi Minh City on July 24. Thien Nhan (real name Tong Thanh Nhan) asked: if the goods sent for review meet standards but the goods delivered to customers are of poor quality, whose responsibility is it? Ms. Pham Dac My Tran, Acting Head of the Electronic Information Department of Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, replied that the contract between the parties is the most important basis. Content creators do not directly produce or distribute, so they are not responsible for quality on behalf of the manufacturer, except in cases where they knowingly know the goods are fake or counterfeit and still advertise. If the contract clearly states the brand's commitment to quality and the content maker has checked the documents within the agreed scope, the management agency has a basis for separating responsibilities.

The Department of Radio, Television and Electronic Information (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) also stated in the conference on June 24 that the person delivering the advertisement can only be introduced within the scope agreed in the contract. According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Huyen, Deputy Director of the Department, if it is discovered that product information or media messages have changed compared to the original records, the advertiser needs to terminate cooperation and notify the competent state agency.

As for how much talk about weaknesses, the National Competition Commission once noted that if an influencer tests the product himself and makes a personal opinion that is unfounded, inaccurate or misleading, that opinion may be considered inaccurate information and handled according to regulations on consumer protection.

At the press conference on September 10, the Department of Culture and Sports of Ho Chi Minh City said that all acts of exaggerating its uses and false advertising will be corrected and handled. Since the beginning of the year, the Department has coordinated with the City Advertising Association, the Department of Industry and Trade, multi-channel networks (MCNs) and many famous people to propagate laws on advertising.