From February 15, the maximum wait time before turning off online video ads will be five seconds, under Government Decree 342.
Decree 342, recently issued by the Government to detail several provisions of the Advertising Law, requires the maximum wait time before viewers can turn off video ads or animated image sequences online to be five seconds.
This means online platforms may not force viewers to wait more than five seconds to turn off a video ad. In practice, some providers currently offer “non-skippable” video advertising services lasting from 7 to 30 seconds, depending on the package and display device.
The decree also prohibits forcing viewers to wait to close static image ads.
Another notable point is that “non-fixed-position” ads are more strictly regulated. These are pop-up advertising windows that appear while users are viewing information and cover all or part of the main content on screen. Such ads may not have fake or hard-to-distinguish close icons, and viewers must be able to close them with a single interaction.
In addition, online ads must provide an icon and instructions that allow users to report illegal content and choose to reject, turn off or stop watching an inappropriate ad.
Online advertisers are responsible for preventing and removing illegal ads no later than 24 hours after receiving a request from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism or another competent authority under applicable specialized law.
If they fail to comply, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Ministry of Public Security will deploy technical measures to block illegal ads and services and handle them according to the law.
Telecommunications enterprises and Internet service providers are also responsible for preventing access to advertisements and services that violate the law no later than 24 hours from the request of the authorities.
Y Tung_VnExpress
