This information was shared by Nguyen Lam Thanh, representative of TikTok Vietnam, during the launch of the program “Responsible Blue Tick in E-commerce: Toward a Transparent, Healthy, and Accountable Business Environment,” held in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Thanh, counterfeit and substandard goods are eroding consumer trust. He cited recent consumer hesitancy over milk purchases due to fear of fake products, which has hurt legitimate producers and reduced profits. He also warned that influencers (KOLs/KOCs) could face legal trouble for unknowingly promoting counterfeit items.

TikTok Shop, he said, is committed to combating fakes. The platform has implemented a discreet mechanism: purchasing products listed on the site and testing them. “Each year, we remove 500,000 violating accounts and restrict their sales rights,” Thanh stated.

However, he noted that the platform can only temporarily restrict these accounts and currently lacks the authority to enforce harsher penalties.

Thanh pointed out that societal complacency enables counterfeit goods to persist. Platforms like TikTok Shop allow users to report suspicious products - yet, even when customers realize a product is fake, many still choose not to report it. Reporting only takes two seconds, he stressed, and is critical for the platform to investigate, compensate buyers, and trace the origins of counterfeit networks.

Nguyen Ngoc Hoa, Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Business Association, affirmed the business community’s support for the government’s anti-counterfeit efforts. “When gold is mixed with brass, if we don’t act strongly, it’s the gold that perishes - not the brass,” Hoa said.

Dinh Quang Khoi, Marketing Director at MM Mega Market Vietnam, expressed support for the “Responsible Blue Tick” initiative. He believes it will enhance product traceability, promote transparent product information, and raise awareness among suppliers and consumers.

The Ho Chi Minh City Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Police Department urged KOLs and KOCs to improve their understanding of the products and brands they promote. Influencers should not exaggerate product features just to boost sales, they emphasized.

Launched by the HCMC Department of Industry and Trade, the “Responsible Blue Tick in E-commerce” program is a new initiative to reset ethical and accountability standards across Vietnam’s e-commerce ecosystem.

This program does not impose mandatory regulations or administrative permits. Instead, the Responsible Blue Tick serves as a voluntary symbol of self-commitment and is governed by a multi-stakeholder supervision model: regulators lead and coordinate, consumers supervise and critique, and platforms and businesses implement and are accountable to the public.

Tran Chung