People's Artists and Meritorious Artists advertise feng shui eyebrow treatments: Is this a violation of the law?

Recently, there has been a phenomenon where numerous Vietnamese artists such as People's Artist Lan Huong, People's Artist Thu Ha, Meritorious Artist Viet Anh, Meritorious Artist Nguyet Hang, actors Doan Quoc Dam and Luong Thanh, singer Duy Manh, and MC Thanh Bach... are rushing to advertise feng shui eyebrows.

Notably, many artists advertise this service with unsubstantiated claims. For example, Doan Quoc Dam claims that eyebrow tattooing helps "improve one's appearance and fortune, attracting wealth and good luck." Meritorious Artist Viet Anh even asserted that after getting his eyebrows done, "his love life became smoother, he always felt happy, and he didn't argue with his girlfriend."

Speaking with reporters, lawyer Le Kim Xuyen of Tran Ba ​​Hoc Law Firm stated that the aforementioned advertisements show signs of violating the 2012 Advertising Law, specifically clauses 9 and 11 of Article 8 of this law.

Accordingly, the law prohibits advertising that is inaccurate or misleading regarding the business capabilities, product and service supply capacity of organizations and individuals engaged in the business of products and services; regarding the quantity, quality, price, uses, design, packaging, brand, origin, type, service method, and warranty period of registered or publicly announced products and services.

Advertising that uses words like "best," "unique," "finest," "number one," or words with similar meanings.(such as: "Top 1 in Vietnam", "exclusive", "detailed consultation by the most knowledgeable fortune teller and astrologer"... in the aforementioned advertisements - PV)Without legally valid documentation as required by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, it is also prohibited.

"Advertising related to cosmetic services is very prone to misleading and false advertising that confuses consumers. Whether the mistake is unintentional or intentional, and whether or not they received compensation, the artists are still responsible for their actions," she said.

Furthermore, advertising videos containing content such as: "Feng Shui eyebrow tattooing helps improve appearance and fortune, attracting wealth and good luck"; "After getting my eyebrows done, my work and projects are all going smoothly"; "These eyebrows help improve my love life, I always feel happy, and I don't argue with my girlfriend"... show signs of promoting superstition.

According to lawyer Xuyen, current law does not have specific regulations on superstition, but based on Clause 1, Article 2 of the 2016 Law on Beliefs and Religions regarding the concept of "belief," superstition can be understood as believing in vague things that are inconsistent with the natural order, leading to consequences for individuals, families, and communities in terms of health, time, property, and life.

Therefore, the advertising by artists of cosmetic services that claim to "improve appearance, change fortune, attract wealth, and bring good luck"... contains unproven, vague, and unnatural content that can easily lead to financial loss and health problems.

To avoid violating the law and protect their reputation, based on Article 14 of the 2012 Advertising Law, lawyers advise celebrities to carefully check documents related to the advertising conditions of the organization, individual, product, goods, or services to be advertised; thoroughly research or seek legal advice to understand the legal regulations on advertising, especially the regulations on prohibited acts in advertising activities.

"Strictly defining the terms in advertising contracts regarding the responsibilities of the party providing information about advertised products and the specialized terminology in the beauty industry will help prevent misrepresentation and exaggeration of product benefits. In addition, be prepared to provide relevant product documentation when requested by the recipient of the advertisement or the competent authority," she said.