Sustainable Consumer Data Protection in Vietnam’s E-Commerce: Bridging Legal Gaps Through Global Insights

Abstract

Vietnam’s enactment of the Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), in 2025, scheduled to enter into force in 2026, represents a landmark shift toward codifying a modern data protection regime. Yet, the law enters a digital marketplace dominated by data-driven e-commerce platforms, uneven institutional capacities, and fragmented regulatory frameworks. This paper examines whether the PDPL can meaningfully safeguard consumer personal data in Vietnam’s rapidly expanding e-commerce sector, and what legal, institutional, and comparative insights can support its sustainable implementation. Drawing on a structured comparative analysis of the EU’s GDPR, China’s PIPL, and California’s CCPA, the paper evaluates how different regulatory philosophies, including rights-based, state-centric, and market-driven, offer lessons for refining Vietnam’s approach. Building on doctrinal, comparative, and normative analysis, the paper identifies persistent gaps in enforcement independence, lawful bases for processing, cross-border data governance, and sector-specific guidance for e-commerce. It proposes a sustainability-oriented, multi-dimensional reform framework emphasizing institutional independence, regulatory harmonization, risk-based governance, and sustainable data stewardship. The paper contributes to theoretical debates on consumer data governance in emerging economies, and provides policy guidance for Vietnam as it seeks to build a trustworthy, rights-respecting, and sustainable digital market.