Vietnam police caution against sharing sensitive images on Zalo and Messenger

Vietnamese police have warned that sending, sharing or forwarding sensitive images or videos via popular messaging apps such as Zalo and Facebook Messenger poses serious legal risks. Offenders can face administrative fines ranging from 10 million to 20 million VND, and if the conduct meets criminal criteria, they may be prosecuted with penalties that include non‑custodial sanctions, heavy fines or imprisonment.

Authorities advise citizens not to capture, store or transmit private or adult‑content material on their phones or cloud services, to exit groups that circulate such content, to keep evidence and to report any illegal sharing to the police. The warning underscores the country's legal protections for privacy, personal dignity and reputation.