Việt Nam Enforces Facial Authentication for SIM Cards Under Circular 08

 

 

by Hoàng Nam

The Vietnamese Magazine |  15 April 2026 

Failure to complete facial authentication will now suspend existing SIM cards and bar new users from purchasing SIM cards entirely.

The Details: As of today, April 15, Circular 08 governing mobile subscriber information authentication has officially come into effect. The strict new regulation requires SIM owners to complete facial biometric verification via the state-run VNeID application or through their mobile network operators. If they fail to comply, their subscriptions will be suspended after a prescribed deadline.

• Under the circular, subscribers are mandated to verify four specific categories of information—their personal identification number, full name, date of birth, and facial biometric data—through the VNeID application or via the facilities or applications provided by telecom service providers.
• Companies cross-checking data must ensure that the information perfectly matches the National Population Database or data provided by the Ministry of Public Security. If discrepancies are found, telecom providers are required to suspend outgoing telecommunications services within a mere two hours.
• If a subscriber fails to complete full authentication within 30 days, Circular 08 dictates that telecom providers must “liquidate the contract” and “terminate service provision.” 
• New users are subjected to the exact same scrutiny; telecom companies may “only provide telecommunications services” to those who supply all four data points. 
• Curiously, although the circular permits multiple authentication methods, state media reporting has focused almost exclusively on pushing verification through the VNeID application.

Unclear points: Although the circular permits multiple authentication methods, state media reporting has focused almost exclusively on pushing verification through the VNeID application.

Background information: In 2017, Government Decree 49 sparked significant controversy by requiring customers to be photographed when purchasing SIM cards. Critics viewed the mandate as “inconsistent with the Constitution” and an infringement on human rights, arguing that authorities were intervening in standard civil transactions and compromising image privacy.

Context: The rollout of Circular 08 is part of a much broader, multi-year campaign by the Vietnamese government to heavily regulate and authenticate user identities across the digital landscape, a push that increasingly includes mandatory identity verification on social media platforms.

 

 

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