Key messages

• The paper presents the first ever artificial intelligence-enabled system for improving the implementation of national laws related to the digital marketing of commercial milk formulas (CMF).

  
  

• Using Viet Nam to apply the system, VIVID (Virtual Violations Detector) detects more than 3,000 online advertisements that violated or contradicted the intent of current Vietnamese laws over a 12-month period.

  
  

• Its findings demonstrate the need to strengthen the design, monitoring and enforcement of existing Vietnamese laws to eliminate mothers' exposure to the exploitative digital marketing of CMF.

  
  

• These findings should be considered by the Vietnamese Government as they review Advertising and Food Safety Laws.

  
  

• VIVID can be applied worldwide to help governments hold the industry accountable for the inappropriate digital marketing of CMF.