By Hoa Dinh ( January 6, 2026, 03:13 GMT | Comment) -- Vietnam’s passage of multiple digital laws in 2025 was intended to provide the regulatory clarity investors need, but companies heading into 2026 face a transition year of uncertainty as authorities finalize implementing rules and figure out how the new frameworks will be enforced.2025 was a busy year for lawmakers in Vietnam, as the country planned and passed a raft of technology-related laws aimed at forming a comprehensive legal framework for its emerging digital economy. The legislative push, spanning personal data protection, artificial intelligence and digital industry development, is widely seen as an effort to bring greater certainty to businesses operating in fast-growing and often lightly regulated sectors, while encouraging investment to propel Vietnam’s digital economy ambitions. Yet as several of these laws begin to take effect in 2026, companies are facing a transition period marked less by clarity than by uncertainty. While authorities have moved to finalize some implementing rules, enforcement approaches remain largely untested, digital businesses are preparing for a year in which compliance obligations may evolve unevenly as regulators work out how the new framework will be applied in practice.— Building blocks in place —In June, the National Assembly passed what legal experts call the building blocks of Vietnam’s digital economy: the law on personal data protection (see here) and the digital technology industry (see here). Both came into force on Jan. 1.“The personal data protection law places personal data protection at the intersection of civil rights, consumer protection, business ethics, sustainability and national security. It reflects an understanding that while data is the fuel of the digital economy, privacy and trust are essential for long-term growth,” Tran Anh Hung, co-founder and managing partner of the Hanoi-based BROSS & Partners law firm, told MLex.The law on the digital technology industry, meanwhile, is designed to support Vietnam’s digital transformation agenda by recognizing digital assets and providing incentives for semiconductor production.“The law covers key foundations such as infrastructure, finance, security, human resources, digital parks, land access and the recognition of digital assets, while clearly signaling Vietnam’s strategic priorities in manufacturing, digital services, AI and semiconductors over the next decade,” Tran said.In December, four laws were passed during the last session of the incumbent National Assembly: a standalone artificial intelligence law, a new law on digital transformation and revisions to the intellectual property and cybersecurity laws (see here). These are scheduled to take effect from March 2026 onward.Beyond these digital-focused measures, the National Assembly has approved legislation in adjacent areas that will take effect next year. These include a new law on science, technology and innovation, as well as revisions to the laws on high technologies and technology transfers.“This development, first and foremost, demonstrates a proactive and timely effort of Vietnam to align with global development trends,” Thai Gia Han, senior associate at Indochine Counsel, a law firm headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City, told MLex. “In the same vein, by focusing on sectors such as technology, personal data protection, intellectual property, the strategic direction and key development priorities of Vietnam in the upcoming period have been explicitly reflected.”— Compliance questions —While these new laws demonstrate Vietnam’s efforts to provide regulatory clarity for digital businesses, implementation is likely to prove challenging as authorities work to finalize the necessary guiding documents.The government issued Decree 356, the implementing rules for the personal data protection law, late on Dec. 31, just before the law came into force on Jan. 1. Compared with the draft released for public consultation in September, Decree 356 provides a more detailed definition of basic personal data and requires companies to document how they obtain valid consent from data subjects, store proof of that consent and demonstrate its legitimacy in the event of a dispute (see here)....