"CREATOR ECONOMY 2026 - UNDERSTANDING TO CREATE": MANAGEMENT AGENCIES, PLATFORMS, AND EXPERTS SIMULTANEOUSLY PROPOSE SOLUTIONS FOR CLEAN CREATIVITY AHEAD OF ZERO HOUR

Ho Chi Minh City, June 5, 2026 - The panoramic forum of the creator economy industry with the theme "Creator Economy 2026: Understanding to Create" took place with resounding success at Studio S3, Vietnam Television in the Southern Region (VTV Southern Region). The event was organized by the Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM) and executed by KLIC (Digital Platform Content Creation Chapter), with the companionship of SOL Media, Haravan, iSocial Vietnam, MCV Shoppertainment, BeatVN Saigon, Theanh28 Entertainment, and media sponsorship from VTV Southern Region and TikTok Vietnam.

The event became a media focal point by frankly analyzing the core aspects of the creative market and proposing essential infrastructure solutions ahead of July 1, 2026 - the time when new regulatory frameworks on Cybersecurity, E-commerce, and Tax are officially applied to Creators.

THE CREATOR ECONOMY ENTERS A STAGE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

At the forum, experts unanimously agreed that Vietnam's e-commerce is witnessing an explosive shift, in which the Creator Economy has become a core spearhead, driving the flow of digital commerce to develop more strongly than ever. However, this rapid development is also presenting everyone with unprecedented challenges regarding management and consumer trust.

The report on the current status of the Creator profession with shocking data published by the KLIC Chapter presented highly thought-provoking figures, in which 77.1% of young people surveyed had been victims of false or misleading advertising content. This means that the general trust market of the entire industry is being severely eroded. Every single violation and every instance of non-transparent content not only hurts consumers but also drags down the commercial reputation of fair businesses and brands.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Nguyen Tan Phong, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam E-commerce Association and Chief Representative of the Southern Region (VECOM), emphasized: "Standing before zero hour, we cannot continue to operate in emotional ruts. It is time for the content creation market to step out of the spontaneous gray area to operate professionally, transparently, and safely. The market is craving that transparency. It is time for 'Clean Creativity' and 'Digital Responsibility' to become core competitive advantages, the prerequisite conditions to value a true Content Creator."

The representative of VECOM also committed to accompanying KLIC closely to execute the core tasks of the Chapter, while expressing commendation and praise for KLIC in resolutely organizing meaningful events like Creator Economy 2026 - Understanding to Create, especially the publication of KLIC research data and the survey of the Top 100 Responsible Creators of 2026. Concluding the presentation, Mr. Phong also called upon Brands, MCNs, and particularly the Creators present at the forum: "Please actively participate, scan yourselves, and join us in building a civilized, fair, and sustainable digital commerce era."

Mr. Nguyen Tan Phong delivered the opening remarks at the forum

KEY MESSAGES AT THE FORUM

Opening the forum, the key presentations clearly outlined the vision and multilateral responsibilities in the new digital economy era.

Ms. Nuong Dao (Chairwoman of the KLIC Chapter) emphasized the importance of proactive preparation rather than reactive responses to policies: "The Creator Economy has become a true economic sector. KLIC desires to build a shared space where the community of Creators, Brands, and MCNs can fully comprehend the industry landscape, aiming toward clean and sustainable creativity." In particular, Ms. Nuong Dao highlighted KLIC's vision and strategy in the new phase, featuring key activities such as announcing the Set of Criteria for Responsible KOLs, the Vietnam Creator by KLIC awards, launching the Masterclass by KLIC "Creativity from Identity", and focusing on developing KLIC's pillar courses covering topics such as: Legal Regulations for Creators, Category-specific KOLs/KOCs, and Personal Brand Crisis Management for Creators, along with many other key projects. The Chairwoman of KLIC also expressed the hope of receiving collaborative support from the Creator community, major platforms like TikTok, brands, and MCNs to join hands with KLIC in standardizing, guiding, and developing a professional, transparent, and sustainable content creation industry.

Senior Lieutenant Colonel Ho Tho Hai - Representative of the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Division - PA05 (Ho Chi Minh City Public Security)

According to Senior Lieutenant Colonel Ho Tho Hai - Representative of the Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention Division - PA05 (Ho Chi Minh City Public Security), the 2025 E-commerce Law is a significant step forward in clearly defining the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of actors participating in the digital environment. He emphasized that the law was not introduced to cause difficulties or stifle creativity; rather, standardizing the responsibilities of KOLs, KOCs, livestreamers, e-commerce platforms, and affiliate marketers is precisely to protect content creators and honest business operators. The PA05 representative also shared that KOLs/KOCs today have become an influential force in the market. Through just a single livestream session or a piece of product introduction content, farmers and businesses can reach millions of consumers.

The PA05 representative also asserted that the new legal corridor, applicable from July 1, is not intended to restrain development, but rather acts as a "safety filter" to protect a healthy cyberspace, giving creators who operate honestly the opportunity to make stronger breakthroughs.

"Management is not about 'restraining', but about 'protecting and clearing the path'. You, the KOLs/KOCs, can feel secure to create and freely contribute to the economy. We will always accompany and facilitate Creators, standing ready to act as a bridge to protect you in cyberspace today. After all, a safe and healthy environment cannot be built from one side—the State Management Agencies—but requires the hands of multiple parties, including Associations, e-commerce platforms, platform representatives, brands, and KOLs/KOCs/Creators," the PA05 representative emphasized.

Mr. Nguyen Lam Thanh - CEO of TikTok Vietnam and Member of the Senior Advisory Board of the KLIC Chapter, outlined the panoramic picture of e-commerce operation trends on the platform. He also highly appreciated the role and mission of entities like KLIC in guiding and standardizing the content creation profession in Vietnam, particularly the necessity for the entire community to speak up and fight for the rights and against inaccurate assessments regarding creative workers. The representative of TikTok Vietnam also shared that "the digital economy is just like real life," and with 6 million Creators across platforms in Vietnam today, TikTok will soon roll out practical activities for content creators by developing local KOL/KOC clubs and professional vertical creative groups, while remaining ready to cooperate with KLIC and VECOM to jointly build a healthy, sustainable ecosystem.

Mr. Nguyen Lam Thanh, CEO of TikTok Vietnam, shared perspectives on the development trends of the Creator Economy in 2026, user behavior on short-video platforms, as well as the platform's orientation toward building a healthy content environment.

Panel 1: Understanding the Law - A Green Corridor for Creativity

The first discussion session took place in an extremely lively atmosphere, aiming to directly resolve practical legal bottlenecks for practitioners. With the participation of representatives from the PA05 Leadership, VECOM Representatives, along with Legal Experts (Lawyer Tran Viet Ha) and Lawyer Tran Thu Trang - General Director of Hop Luat Tax Company, the panel session provided precise and standard guidelines for legal conduct.

Experts addressed a series of challenging questions regarding e-commerce tax declaration obligations, cash flow risk management for bookings, personal data security issues, and the civil and criminal liabilities of Creators when advertising products. The VECOM representative asserted that fully understanding and complying with the law at this point is no longer an emotional obligation but has become a matter of vital competitive capacity for both businesses and individual Creators.

According to Lawyer Tran Viet Ha, first, before the July 1, 2026 deadline, you must self-review all posted content and cooperated brands, cross-reference them with the new regulations, and voluntarily take down any content that potentially contains violations. Second, take time to study the new regulations of the Cybersecurity Law, the E-commerce Law, the Law on Personal Data Protection, Decree No. 174/2026/ND-CP, and Circular No. 12/2026/TT-BVHTTDL to clearly know what can be said, done, advertised, and shared, thereby avoiding breaking the law unknowingly. Meanwhile, before accepting any cooperation invitation, you must equip yourselves with the knowledge to verify whether the documents they provide, such as advertising licenses and product registration certificates, are correct and sufficient. Third, before accepting any cooperation invitation, you must carefully examine each specific clause of the contract to see the scope of work, how long the images will be used, and how to handle and penalize situations if the brand continues to use the images after the contract expires. Additionally, there must be a limitation of liability for the product only at the time of advertising; in case the brand subsequently alters the quality, content, or ingredients, resulting in poor-quality goods that affect the KOL or KOC, what will the brand's penalty payout be to the KOL or KOC, and who will bear the resolution costs when a dispute arises. Finally, Lawyer Ha sent a message: "I hope you will be people of heart and stature, always putting the interests of consumers first, and not trading community health for personal gain."

According to Lawyer Tran Thu Trang, even when operating in a digital environment, Creators are still subjects with tax obligations just like other business individuals and organizations. Therefore, full tax registration, tax declaration, and tax payment are always the primary and most important requirements. This is especially true for Creators who earn income from multiple sources such as advertising revenue, brand sponsorships, affiliate marketing, livestream gifts, online course sales, trading on e-commerce platforms, or receiving payments from partners. Depending on the nature of the income source and the operating model, the tax obligations applied to Creators may differ. Therefore, Creators need to correctly identify their form of operation and income sources to perform full, accurate, and timely tax declarations and payments in accordance with legal regulations.

However, in reality, many Creators still do not clearly understand tax regulations, leading to many errors such as: failing to register for tax or business registration as prescribed; under-reporting revenue; sharing bank accounts for both personal and business purposes; failing to retain full records and vouchers; or delaying tax declarations and payments. These errors can lead to the risk of tax arrears, administrative penalties, late payment interest, and even affect personal reputation and business operations in the long run.

To minimize tax risks, Lawyer Trang also emphasized that Creators need to fully manage revenue from platforms and partners, store related records and vouchers, regularly reconcile figures with bank statements and reports from platforms, keep track of deadlines for tax declarations and payments, and proactively consult tax authorities or professional advisory units when difficulties arise. It is evident that complying with tax regulations not only helps Creators limit legal and financial risks but also builds a solid foundation to develop content creation activities professionally, transparently, and sustainably in the digital economy.

Panel 2: Creator Economy 2026 - Understanding for Clean and Sustainable Creativity

Under the moderation (host) of Ms. Nuong Dao - Chairwoman of the KLIC Chapter, the second panel session opened up a multi-dimensional dialogue, unpacking the "inner feelings" along with the challenges, opportunities, and connections among stakeholders in the ecosystem. Many practical issues were raised: the responsibility to disclose advertising information, the obligations of sales livestreamers, verification mechanisms for affiliate marketing activities, and the legal risks that content creators might face in case of violations. The panel also went deep into the challenge of balancing the authenticity of content with the commercial goals of brands, aiming to eliminate "gray areas" in booking, advertising, and brand cooperation activities, gradually establishing clear professional standards for the industry.

Ms. Vick Lai - CEO of MCV Shoppertainment - and Mr. Quan Ngoc - CEO of Social Elite MCN assessed that the Vietnam Creator Economy is growing robustly, becoming an important driving force for digital commerce and social commerce.

However, rapid growth also poses numerous challenges regarding legalities, taxation, advertising, copyright, and the social responsibility of content creators. According to the experts, the industry needs to transition from a growth phase to professionalization, in which Creators must converge three elements: Creativity, Credibility, and Compliance.

Additionally, MCNs are expected to play a role in training, orienting, and managing risks for Creators, while promoting cooperation among regulatory authorities, businesses, and the creative community to build a sustainably developing ecosystem.

The Deputy General Director of ACCESSTRADE, Mr. Dung Bui, shared that in the context of increasingly tightening legal regulations, ACCESSTRADE acts as a "guide" and "shield," supporting Creators to transform from chasing temporary sales to building sustainable value. Together with KLIC and other parties, ACCESSTRADE is committed to accompanying Creators to optimize business efficiency, protect their "clean quality" and long-term reputation, and turn legal challenges into competitive advantages to jointly create positive impacts on the community.

Representing the perspective of a practitioner, KOL Dich Lep (Quang Minh) shared many real-world stories about the pressures that Creators are facing during their career development. He argued that Creators do not always have full control over all cooperative activities, which is why they greatly need companionship from professional units like MCNs in evaluating product quality, assessing risks, and ensuring transparency before rolling out promotions to consumers.

Additionally, he expressed the hope that the Creator community will receive more guidance and clearer legal corridors to protect the legitimate rights of creators, especially concerning content, copyright, and commercial cooperation activities in the digital environment. According to him, this is an important foundation for Creators to develop their careers in a more sustainable and responsible manner in the future.

Between earning good money and maintaining clean creativity, KOC Hung Luong shared: "KOCs need to select their product niches more carefully: focusing on a few groups they love, researching them deeply, and doing a lot, rather than working with too many products, too many sectors, and not being sure of the origin or quality. Besides, KOCs need to stay close to leading organizations in the industry, for example, the KLIC Chapter, large affiliate platforms like Accesstrade or Permate, and large and suitable MCNs, to get correct access to industry information and accurate data, so that they can do things right, fast, precisely, and combat-ready to generate results and money. Because upcoming legal issues will no longer be just administrative, but have become criminal. Clean creativity is not just about making content that does not violate platform policies, but also about not violating the law. Making money on platforms is not difficult, but making good money requires precise, fast, and maximum focus. That is why KLIC exists, serving as a bridge not only between Creators and MCNs but also as a corridor for legalities and responsibility, which can accompany and support KOCs or KOLs in their journey of transitioning to KOCs in a practical and results-driven manner."

The speakers reached a consensus that "Clean Creativity" and "Responsibility" represent a multilateral relationship. To protect those decent choices, the market needs a shared platform to connect, systematically train, and define professional practice standards.

On the brand side, attending the event, Ms. Rozy Tran - VP of Marketing, representing SMD, stated that brands do not always look for the lowest price. A Creator with quality content, a good community, professional manners, and proven actual effectiveness absolutely deserves a higher payout. What brands care about more is whether that Creator is truly suitable for the target customers, whether they resonate with the brand image, and most importantly, whether they generate real impact for the campaign.

However, brands do not always look for the lowest price. A Creator with quality content, a good community, professional manners, and proven actual effectiveness absolutely deserves a higher payout. When the market becomes more transparent, brands will invest with more confidence, Creators with real capabilities will be more deservedly recognized, and the entire ecosystem will develop more sustainably.

Launching the "Top 100 Responsible Creators of 2026" Survey Campaign

At the end of the event, the KLIC Executive Board in coordination with VECOM officially pressed the button to launch the large-scale survey campaign "Top 100 Responsible Creators of 2026." The campaign aims to find, screen, and honor content creators pioneering in law compliance, practicing standard behavioral culture, and creating positive values for society. The campaign opens opportunities for Nominations (for Brands/MCNs) and Registration to participate (for Creators), and KLIC will also open additional nominations for the audience to vote on the Chapter's channels throughout the duration from June 5 to July 5, 2026.

The survey results and prestigious certification ceremony are scheduled to be solemnly announced at the next major event in the third quarter of 2026, marking a historic transformation of the Creator Economy industry in Vietnam.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Tan - Vice Chairman in charge of Technology of the KLIC Chapter, and Representatives of the VECOM Communications Board launching the "Top 100 Responsible Creators of 2026" Survey Campaign

"What pleases us most after today's event is not the numbers, but the fact that for the first time, regulatory authorities, platforms, brands, MCNs, and creators themselves sat down together, sharing a common voice on professional responsibility. This is a signal showing that the content creation market is truly ready for transparency and responsibility. But 'understanding' is only the starting line. Right after the forum, KLIC will set to work realizing specific commitments, from the Set of Criteria for Responsible KOLs and the R-ID Identifier to the Top 100 Responsible Content Creators of 2026 program. We believe that every responsible choice today will be the first bricks to build a decent, professional, and proud content creation industry in Vietnam."

Ms. Nuong Dao, Chairwoman of the Digital Platform Content Creation Chapter (KLIC), shared.

EVENT INFORMATION

Event name: Creator Economy 2026: Understanding to Create

Organizing unit: Vietnam E-commerce Association (VECOM)

Executing unit: Digital Platform Content Creation Chapter (KLIC)

Time: 13:30 - 16:30, June 5, 2026

Location: Studio S3, VTV Southern Region, 7 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Saigon Ward, Ho Chi Minh City

Participants: Representatives of State regulatory authorities (PA05); major KOLs/KOCs/Creators, Brands, MCNs, and Agencies in Vietnam

ABOUT KLIC

KLIC is the Digital Platform Content Creation Chapter, operating under the Vietnam E-commerce Association. The Chapter connects the community of Creators, Brands, MCNs, and Agencies, accompanying regulatory authorities to promote a transparent, professional, and sustainably developing content creation ecosystem in Vietnam.

KLIC's vision is to become the first official, prestigious, and standardized professional organization for KOLs and KOCs, holding national and regional influence. KLIC's mission is to guide the development and standardize the content creation profession through Connection, Training, and enhancing professional skills. KLIC is associated with five core values: Integrity, Responsibility, Kindness, Connection, and Real Value. The organization's cultural DNA emphasizes 5 elements: Trust, Respect, Appreciation, Sharing, and Empathy.

PRESS CONTACT INFORMATION

Contact point: Mr. Duong Duc Manh

Position: KLIC Chapter Secretariat

Phone: 0966005797

Email: duongducmanh64@gmail.com