- Netflix must stop offering video games in Vietnam by April 25.
- Vietnamese law allows only local companies to provide gaming services within the country.
- Netflix faces regulatory challenges and service disruptions.
The Vietnamese Authority for Broadcasting and Electronic Information (ABEI) has directed Netflix to discontinue promoting and providing video games in the country by April 25.
The directive stems from Netflix’s lack of a gaming services license, which is required under Vietnamese law for companies offering video games in the country.
Only local video game services are allowed
Netflix had entered the gaming world the launch of Netflix Games, a mobile gaming feature available in its apps, in November 2021. However, Vietnamese law stipulates that only locally incorporated and registered companies may offer video game services in the country.
ABEI has also directed Netflix to remove its gaming feature from the app versions available on Vietnam’s App Store and Google Play Store before the set deadline.
Netflix’s attempt to win Vietnam’s heart
The directive to halt video game services is the latest setback for Netflix in Vietnam, following the government’s ban on the streaming of the Hollywood movie Barbie and the Chinese-produced Netflix drama series Flight to You due to “geopolitical reasons.”
Despite these challenges, Netflix reportedly plans to open an office in Vietnam, having already conducted a risk assessment of the move.
The streaming giant will need to navigate the country’s regulatory landscape to ensure compliance and avoid further disruptions to its services.
To read the original article: https://www.techinasia.com/netflix-told-gaming-vietnam-april-25
