Vietnam considers digital identity law for assets, data and transactions

Vietnam is weighing a significant expansion of state‑managed digital identity. A new proposal from the Ministry of Public Security (MPS) would assign electronic identities not only to people and organizations but also to physical assets, digital property and everyday transactions.

The draft Law on Electronic Identification and Authentication is open for public comment from July 13 to August 2. The MPS says current rules are too limited and wants a system that can identify and link data across both physical and digital environments, reports The Vietnamese.

The bill defines five groups of entities that would receive electronic identities — individuals and agencies; physical objects such as goods and equipment; non‑physical items like data, apps and digital assets; events and transactions; and locations and spaces. Once identified, each entity would be tied to a unique electronic identity in the national system.

The proposal requires identifying information for people, physical objects and locations to be linked to the electronic identity of the owner or lawful manager whenever the entity is part of a transaction or legal process. For events and transactions, all participating parties would be linked along with time, place and contextual details.

The legislation was not part of the National Assembly’s original agenda. It was added after the government approved Resolution No. 125 on May 11, following an MPS request. The ministry argues that Decree No. 69 does not provide enough legal authority to expand electronic identification to new categories, hence the new proposal.

If passed, the law would bind physical items, virtual assets and human activity to state‑managed digital identities. The MPS says the goal is to unify identification across both physical and electronic spaces, enabling direct management of digital transactions and administrative relationships.

Vietnam approved a national digital transformation strategy through 2030 last week. The National Digital Transformation Strategy for 2026–30 sets out a long-term plan to build a data‑ and AI‑driven digital nation by 2045. It has also classified biometric AI systems as high risk while it’s looking to expand its VNeID digital identity system beyond its borders.

Article Topics

digital identity  |  electronic-signature  |  legislation  |  national ID  |  Vietnam