It's now illegal for Vietnamese parents to post children’s photos online

From this year’s Children’s Day on, Vietnamese parents are advised to think twice before posting photos or school records of their children online.

Vietnam’s new Law on children takes effect on June 1, stipulating that children have irrefutable rights over their privacy, and that anyone who publicizes their information without their consent is breaking the law.

The protection of the privacy of children consists of their personal information, medical records, photos, personal identification and school records.

It will now be a breach of the law by parents or guardians to reveal such information without the consent of children aged seven or above.

“Parents may breach the law by posting photos and the intimate information of their own children on Facebook or other online platforms,” lawyer Nguyen Duc Lam, director of a legal center in Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City, confirmed.

With the law introduced by local media prior to taking effect, Vietnamese parents are concerned that they will no longer be able to share cute photos of their children on social media.

However, Dang Hoa Nam, head of Vietnam’s child protection department, confirmed that this was a misconception.

“The law only covers information that is deemed confidential to children aged seven and above,” Nam told the Phap Luat (Law) Ho Chi Minh City newspaper.

“This means photos of children having fun during a family trip can still be shared online.”

However, it does remain unclear how the law will be enforced. A similar rule in France suggests that grown-up children may sue their parents for publishing photos of them when they were younger.