HÀ NỘI — The online retail sector is tightening compliance nearly a month after the country's new E-commerce Law took effect, with businesses, platforms and social media influencers adjusting their practices to meet stricter legal requirements aimed at improving transparency and consumer protection.

The legislation expands accountability across the digital commerce ecosystem, requiring e-commerce platforms, merchants, businesses, key opinion leaders (KOLs), key opinion consumers (KOCs) and affiliate marketers to take greater responsibility for the accuracy of product information and their activities in the online marketplace.

The law marks a shift from rapid growth driven by sales volumes toward a regulatory framework focused on transparency, legal compliance and sustainable development.

Content creators who promote products through livestreams and social media said they have introduced more rigorous verification procedures before endorsing products.

Võ Trường Duy, a content creator and affiliate marketer, said he and his team now verify product declarations, labels and distributors and ensure all information complies with advertising regulations before going live, rather than beginning livestreams shortly after receiving a product, as they had done previously.

Every claim must now be checked against official documentation before it is made, he said.

Creators also said they have stopped using absolute promotional claims such as '100 per cent effective' or 'guaranteed cure' to reduce the risk of violating advertising rules while strengthening consumer trust.

Businesses are also revising internal processes to comply with the new requirements.

Đặng La Huy, head of e-commerce operations at Cocoon Vietnam, said compliance now begins well before products reach online marketplaces, covering production, quality inspection, packaging and product descriptions.

In the past, businesses mainly supplied products to influencers for livestream promotions," Huy told Bnews.vn, adding that now both businesses and content creators must carefully review every detail before publication because both parties are responsible for the information shared online.

Some businesses also said that stronger verification requirements are helping remove fraudulent sellers and counterfeit products from online marketplaces, creating fairer competition for legitimate brands.

Nguyễn Hữu Thọ, an e-commerce representative at Be' Balane Vietnam, said closer cooperation among businesses, platforms and regulators has strengthened efforts against counterfeit goods.

Government officials said digital platforms have responded by strengthening seller authentication, improving product monitoring, retaining transaction data and establishing more transparent complaint-handling procedures.

Nguyễn Hữu Tuấn, director of the Centre for E-commerce and Digital Technology Development under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT)'s Vietnam E-commerce and Digital Economy Agency, said authorities have also increased outreach efforts to help businesses, platforms and consumers understand their rights and obligations under the new law.

Tuấn said the MoIT would continue public awareness campaigns while stepping up inspections and monitoring of compliance by platforms and merchants. Consumers can report suspected violations directly to platforms or through the government's e-commerce management portal, allowing regulators to investigate and take action where necessary. — VNS