Lawmakers, journalists and celebrities themselves have fretted over rife privacy infringement in Vietnam, which has spiraled out of control in cyberspace, and called for measures to shore up privacy for everyone, particularly public figures.

Over recent years, except for incidents purposefully staged by local celebs to cause scandals and vie for limelight, many personalities, especially showbiz figures, have struggled to cope with undesired public attention and prying eyes into their own personal affairs.

One of the latest examples is a snapshot capturing Miss Vietnam 2014 Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen dozing off in an awkward position on an airplane.

The photo was posted online and spread like wildfire, attracting ill-meaning criticisms among many netizens that the 19-year-old beauty queen failed to safeguard her image in public.

The act of posting a photo featuring a celeb’s private moment and the public blast that entails, however, have drawn ire toward privacy breaches among righteous journalists, lawyers, culture management officials and celebrities themselves.

Le Quoc Minh, editor-in-chief of Vietnamese newswire VietnamPlus, acknowledged escalating infringements by a number of Vietnamese tabloids on public figures’ private life.

Unlike in other countries, where famous footballers, singers or actors can take court action against encroachments on their privacy by tabloids, Vietnamese victims are generally hesitant to sue newspapers.

“This is thus an unfair game, as the covered personalities are usually the weak side,” Minh noted.

He urged that court action be taken and tough penalties be imposed on press agencies to deter or thwart similar breaches.

Dr. Phan Thi Huong Thuy, from the Hanoi Bar Association, pointed out that as press agencies are tasked with providing information and creating forums, not all revelations of personal details are considered privacy intrusion.

Newspapers in many cases have inadvertently become the means for a number of people to use for their popularity’s sake.

Such diverse situations thus require more specific definitions and rules on the matter to be issued.

For instance, such terms as “encroaching on citizens’ private life” and “privacy right” should be clearly defined, Dr. Thuy stressed.

“Legal institutions should also be improved to ensure citizens’ rights and interests,” she added.

In a similar vein, Le Nhu Tien, deputy chairman of the National Assembly Committee on Culture, Education, Youth and Children, affirmed that the privacy right is ensured in the 2013 Constitution.

The National Assembly is currently revising the Civil Code as well as a number of related laws, and is considering issuing the Information Safety Law. 

All these laws are in observance of the Constitution’s spirit regarding privacy rights, Tien said.

However, in certain circumstances, privacy rights are limited by legal rules regarding behavior in public space, cultural traditions and widely accepted norms.

For instance, donning scanty outfits and purposefully revealing intimate parts in public and onstage deserve criticism, though citizens have privacy rights regarding their own bodies and how they dress.

Similarly, political dignitaries have a legally protected privacy right, but the right is supposed to be exercised in accordance with their professional responsibilities and ethical code.

According to lawyer Le Quang Vu, vice head of Nguoi Ngheo (The Poor) Law Office, based on Articles 31 and 38 of the 2005 Civil Code, if Duyen, Miss Vietnam 2014, finds that her photo is illegally used and published and taints her reputation and dignity, she can take court action and demand an apology and compensation from the publisher.

Actress Lan Phuong said that though paparazzi have yet to appear in Vietnam, people are supposed to demonstrate their self-esteem and respect of the professional ethical code while using others’ personal information for any purposes.

The actress said she safeguards her privacy by choosing not to share her private life on social networks.

Meanwhile, drama director Chanh Truc called for netizens to be sensible, responsible readers who should put themselves in others’ shoes before showering vicious comments on someone’s behavior.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!