The issue of personal data processing is getting hotter than
ever in this digital age with increasing cases where large
conglomerate or even national governments being accused of
utilizing citizen's personal data without consent. This trend
makes no exception in Vietnam.
So far, the Ministry of Public Security (the "MPS")
has finally prepared a Draft Decree on personal data protection
("Draft Decree"). The Draft Decree was shared on 9
February 2021 for public comments. We outline below some key terms
and foundation of the Draft Decree:
I. The Basic: New Draft Decree on Personal Data Protection and
Cross-Border Provision of Data
1. Definition
Personal data means data about an individual, or relating to the
identification or possible identification of a particular
individual. Personal data is comprised of two tranches: (i) Basic
personal data includes name, date of birth, blood type, marriage
status and most notably, data that reflects activity or history
