How did Project 06 and Vietnam’s biometric ID rollout develop from 2022 to 2025?
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Executive summary
Project 06 — Vietnam’s government program to build a national population database, electronic identification (e-ID) and authentication system from 2022–2025 — moved from planning and pilot phases into rapid nationwide deployment and legal scaffolding by 2025, with concrete targets such as full chip-based ID coverage, mass activation of VNeID accounts and mandated biometric systems at all border points by late 2025 [1] [2] [3]. The rollout combined technical milestones and regulatory pushes (Data Law/decrees, performance indicators) with sectoral integration (banks, health, transport), but also provoked privacy and governance concerns voiced by critics and independent observers [4] [5] [6].
1. Origins and early implementation (2022–2023): setting the building blocks
Project 06 was launched as the government’s central vehicle for digital transformation — “Developing an Application for Population Database, Digital Identification and Authentication” — with a roadmap covering 2022–2025 and a vision to 2030; in the first years ministries and localities reported widespread activity, distribution of chip-based ID cards and initial VNeID registrations [1] [7]. Administrative connectivity began early: agencies committed to digitising residence records and linking public services to the nascent national population database, while pilot uses of biometric verification appeared in sectors such as social security and municipal services [5] [7].
2. Acceleration in 2024: legal and institutional tightening
By 2024 the Prime Minister and central agencies began pressing for faster implementation, instructing ministries to prepare decrees and revise data strategies; the government submitted laws to the National Assembly and drafted decrees to operationalise electronic identification and data rules, signalling a move from voluntary pilots to mandatory interoperability and legal enforcement [8] [4]. The Law on Identification introduced limits and exceptions — including that some biometric data (DNA, voice) are collected under defined circumstances or voluntarily — creating a statutory frame that Project 06 implementation then referenced [5].
3. 2025: mass deployment, concrete targets and timelines
March–mid 2025 directives accelerated deadlines: the Prime Minister ordered completion of Project 06 tasks, including full deployment of chip-based ID cards, connection of key sectoral databases to the National Population Database by mid‑to‑late 2025, a satisfaction indicator for VNeID services by June 2025, and deployment of biometric technology and the VNeID platform at 100% of airports, seaports and border gates by September 2025 [2] [4] [3] [9]. Government communications claimed major outputs — 100% issuance of chip IDs, over 61 million electronic identity accounts and dozens of VNeID utilities — and pushed for live, connected, “clean” datasets across provinces [2].
4. Sector spillovers: banking, health and foreigners in Vietnam
Project 06’s reach spread into banking and health: authorities tied biometric verification and e-ID to financial transactions and account management, with reports of aggressive “data-cleansing” in banking that included deactivations tied to biometric non‑compliance and deadlines for verification [10], while health records (electronic child health book) were explicitly linked to VNeID for vaccination and medical services rollout goals by end‑2025 [11]. The MFA was tasked to simplify visa procedures for foreigners whose biometrics are collected and to connect foreigners into the e‑ID ecosystem, with targeted campaigns for foreigners residing in Vietnam noted in 2025 [9] [12] [13].
5. Tensions, oversight and critique
Implementation was accompanied by centralised oversight — inspections of public servants and performance metrics — but also by explicit concerns: commentators and external outlets warned of surveillance risks, press‑freedom and civil‑liberties implications, and uneven public readiness for compulsory biometric checks [4] [6]. Technical and operational challenges were flagged in provincial reports and by industry observers, who noted interoperability, data quality and citizen experience as ongoing obstacles [11] [5]. Where sources diverge, official materials emphasise efficiency and connectivity while independent critics stress rights, transparency and risk of misuse [2] [6].
6. What was achieved by 2025 — and what remains opaque
By mid‑2025 Project 06 had moved from pilots to national mandates: legal instruments, wide distribution of chip IDs, large‑scale VNeID uptake, sectoral database connection targets and binding deadlines for biometric use at borders and in services were all in force or directed for completion by late 2025 [1] [4] [3]. Public accounting of outcomes (exact enrollment numbers, error rates, safeguards implementation and independent audits) remains uneven in the reporting reviewed; thus assessment of long‑term privacy protections, incidence of false matches, or complete compliance across all institutions is limited by available sources [2] [5].