Vietnam Archives

AppWizard

January 1, 2026

Vietnam’s dominant messaging app faces regulatory scrutiny over data policy update

Vietnam’s National Competition Commission (NCC) has ordered VNG Corporation to revise its updated service terms for the Zalo messaging app due to user privacy concerns. The NCC emphasized that users should not be forced to consent to personal data collection as a condition for using the app and that consent mechanisms need to be voluntary and clear. The updated terms require users to accept all data management provisions or face account deletion within 45 days, which has led to significant user complaints and a decline in app ratings. Zalo's average rating on Apple’s App Store has fallen to around two out of five stars, and it has slipped to 59th place in download rankings, while international apps like WhatsApp and Viber have become more popular. Zalo has around 78 million active users and operates over 17,000 official accounts used by government and businesses. The NCC intends to meet with VNG to discuss the updated policy, as part of a wider regulatory trend against coercive data practices in digital firms globally.

AppWizard

December 30, 2025

Users confused by sudden terms of use update at Vietnam’s most popular messaging app Zalo

Thanh Hung, a sales employee in Ho Chi Minh City, was prompted to accept new terms of service on Zalo, a messaging platform, under the threat of account deletion. He accepted without reading the details due to urgency. Thanh Tuan from Hanoi also faced a similar situation, expressing concern over potential hidden clauses and opting to decline the new terms, risking account deletion in 45 days. Zalo, with over 80 million users, updated its terms on December 26, introducing a comprehensive user agreement and a separate agreement for its social network. Users can either accept all terms or decline specific services. The sudden notification has led to discussions among users, with some feeling pressured to agree. The update is seen as a response to the upcoming Law on Protection of Personal Data, which imposes penalties for violations. Key changes in the terms include a distinction between the messaging platform and the social network, a definition of "user content," and the introduction of Zalo ID for enhanced security. Zalo states that data collection serves its business operations.

TrendTechie

December 8, 2025

Торренты и пиратство в разных странах

Amnezia's team has received user feedback about VPN limitations for downloading torrents, attributed to legal frameworks in server-hosting countries rather than technical issues. VPN services face abuse reports from hosting providers when torrents are downloaded, leading to traffic restrictions. Specialized B2B servers, like Amnezia's Swiss P2P server, are more expensive but located in countries with lenient torrent laws. In 2024, visits to pirate sites reached 216 billion globally, with the U.S. leading at 26.7 billion visits. All major jurisdictions prohibit the distribution of copyrighted content, but penalties for piracy vary by country. - **Switzerland**: Allows personal downloading from illegal sources for personal use; uploading is prohibited. - **Netherlands**: Personal copying from illegal sources banned since 2014. - **Germany**: Intentional copyright infringement can lead to fines or imprisonment; enforcement often results in civil actions. - **France**: Increased efforts to block pirate sites; penalties include fines and potential criminal charges. - **Canada**: Notice-and-Notice model with rare fines for piracy. - **India**: Both sharing and downloading torrents are illegal; courts can issue injunctions against unknown infringers. - **United Kingdom**: Strict anti-piracy measures with civil lawsuits and potential prison sentences. - **United States**: Stringent laws with civil lawsuits for piracy; criminal cases are rare. - **Singapore**: Criminal liability for serious copyright infringement. - **Japan**: Illegal downloading can lead to prison or fines; severe penalties for sharing. - **Thailand**: Distributing pirated content is illegal; penalties vary by violation type. - **Vietnam**: Laws against piracy exist, but enforcement is rare. - **Turkey**: Prohibits downloading and sharing pirated content; enforcement focuses on commercial piracy. - **Portugal**: Prohibits downloading from copyright-violating sources; piracy levels remain high. - **Russia**: Civil lawsuits for damages are pursued, but individual users are rarely targeted. Overall, while anti-piracy laws are strict, enforcement is often lax, leading to a low likelihood of legal repercussions for torrent downloading in many regions, except in Germany and Japan.

AppWizard

November 10, 2025

Ahead of its ambitious sequel, you can save 65% on one of the most realistic and immersive WW2 shooters ever

Fans of first-person shooter games often have differing opinions on titles like 'Call of Duty' and 'Escape From Tarkov.' 'Hell Let Loose' is highlighted as a standout choice for those seeking intense competition and engaging gunplay. The game, set in World War II, allows players to command a squad of up to 50 players and emphasizes communication, coordination, and tactical maneuvers in its 50v50 battles. It features various maps across European theaters and offers over a dozen roles with unique loadouts. The commander role is particularly coveted, as it involves coordinating squad movements and utilizing powerful abilities. The game is currently available at a discounted price of .49/£17.49 on Fanatical, with Deluxe and Ultimate editions at even greater discounts. A sequel, 'Hell Let Loose 2,' set in Vietnam, is expected next year.

AppWizard

November 6, 2025

OpenAI’s Popular Sora App Launches on Android: Find Out Who Can Access It

Bill Peebles, head of OpenAI's Sora, announced that Sora is now available on the leading mobile operating system but is currently restricted to select regions: United States, Canada, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

AppWizard

November 5, 2025

OpenAI’s Sora 2 app has arrived on Android — but there’s a catch

Sora 2, OpenAI's latest AI video generation app, has expanded its availability to Android users, following its initial release for Apple devices. The app is now accessible via the Play Store in select countries, including Canada, the United States, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. OpenAI has faced controversies regarding the app's ability to recreate the likenesses of celebrities and historical figures, leading to legal challenges and apologies from CEO Sam Altman. In response, OpenAI has adjusted its policies to require explicit consent from celebrities for the use of their likenesses and implemented safeguards to prevent the creation of videos featuring individuals who have opted out.

AppWizard

November 5, 2025

OpenAI launches Sora for Android devices

OpenAI has expanded its Sora app, designed for generating AI-driven videos, to Android devices as of Tuesday, following its initial launch for Apple users in September. The app has achieved over 1 million downloads within five days and reached the top of Apple's App Store for nearly three weeks, currently ranking fifth among the top free apps. Sora is now available on the Google Play Store in the U.S., Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam, with plans for expansion into European markets. The app allows users to create and share AI-generated videos based on written prompts and is currently open to all users for a limited time. OpenAI has also entered a seven-year partnership with Amazon to scale its ChatGPT capabilities.

AppWizard

November 5, 2025

OpenAI releases Sora Mobile App on Android, available in multiple countries

OpenAI has launched its Sora mobile app for Android users, available for download on the Google Play Store in regions including the United States, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Korea. The app was initially launched in September 2024, achieving over 1 million downloads within five days and ranking as the fifth most popular free app on the Apple App Store. Bill Pebbles, the director of Sora, announced plans to expand the app's availability to European users. Sora combines natural language understanding with the ability to generate images and animations, allowing users to create short videos from text prompts. The app features a social media-like interface with user-generated content that can be remixed and shared. OpenAI has implemented digital watermarks and metadata to identify Sora-generated videos and has established control systems to mitigate misuse concerns.

AppWizard

October 31, 2025

IAS uncovers ‘Arcade’ ad-fraud scheme exploiting Android gaming apps | News

Integral Ad Science (IAS) has identified an ad-fraud operation called ‘Arcade’ that exploits over 50 Android gaming apps with around 10 million installations. This operation reroutes ad traffic to more than 200 HTML5 gaming sites, generating ad impressions without user engagement. Initially active in the US, Brazil, and Canada, Arcade has shifted focus to the Asia-Pacific region, with countries like Turkey, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia accounting for nearly half of the detected traffic by September 2025. The apps switch to fraud mode upon detecting installation from a paid campaign, activating hidden browsing and ad-serving code via a remote command-and-control server. Arcade generates revenue through covert traffic to gaming domains and disruptive ads outside standard app usage. Despite having fewer apps than previous IAS findings, Arcade has a significantly larger traffic impact.

AppWizard

October 24, 2025

The Samsung Galaxy S21 FE’s last major Android upgrade is reaching users

Samsung has begun rolling out One UI 8 for the Galaxy S21 FE in Thailand and Vietnam, marking it as the last major Android OS upgrade for the device. This update coincides with the end of its four-year update guarantee. The Galaxy S21 FE will continue to receive monthly security patches for over a year. One UI 8 is built on Android 16 and introduces additional features and enhanced Galaxy AI capabilities. The update is approximately 2GB in size and has the version number G990EXXUIHYJ2. The rollout started on October 23, with no specific timeline for other regions. Samsung's upcoming Galaxy S25 FE is expected to offer a seven-year update promise.