The Ministry of Information and Communication (MIC) has speculated that the withdrawal of several international film and television brands, namely Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, from the local market may see video pirates fill the void, Saigon Giai Phong is reporting.
Why it matters: Regulations created by the ministry are very restrictive for cross-border media providers and have a number of stipulations that can make doing business in Vietnam very difficult for these firms. For example, firms are required to store data locally, open a local office, and apply for a broadcast license from the MIC which means adhering to Vietnam’s strict censorship laws. In this light, one reading of this article could be that the MIC wanted greater control over foreign cross border service providers not for cross border service providers to leave the mark altogether.