Two categories of content not considered advertising from January 1, 2026

Clause 3, Article 19 of the amended Law on Advertising 2025 (Law No. 75/2025/QH15) specifies two categories of content not deemed advertising, as follows:

Category 1 – Sales support information without an advertising nature:
Documents, information, and images describing products, goods, services, and items provided by organizations and individuals engaged in production or business for the purposes of sales promotion, display, introduction of goods and services, and trade fairs and exhibitions.
Exception: Functional foods and foods for special dietary use must comply with the regulations on food safety.

Category 2 – Content required by law:
Content that must be shown on product labels and packaging; content that must be publicly disclosed; and content relating to information, education, and communication on the prevention and control of harms caused by goods.
Exception: Functional foods and foods for special dietary use are still subject to the regulations on food safety.

The Law on Advertising 2012 did not clearly distinguish non-advertising content and also failed to provide specific exceptions for functional foods.