hanoi like china say vietnamese activist anh chi noisy bar one narrow streets hanoi old quarter shut facebook 40,000 facebook followers make one vietnam better-known critics mean big communist state whose attempt crack dissidents collide rapidly expand reach foreign-owned social media vietnam president tran dai quang month call unspecified tough internet control face hostile force say threaten cybersecurity also undermine prestige leaders party state tame internet young fast-growing country easy especially company provide platform global china contrast allow local internet company operate strict rule vietnam among facebook top 10 countries number members report 52 million active account advertisers accord research provide reuters social media agencies social hootsuite google youtube twitter popular elsewhere southeast asia social media underpin business communications well government critics dissidents post social media catch major crackdown follow change rule party hierarchy least 15 people arrest year high profile bloggers nguyen ngoc nhu quynh know mother mushroom tran thi nga jail 10 nine years respectively government critics also complain beat unidentified assailants intimidation dozens activists still post critical comment every day several 100,000 followers least one 400,000 double government facebook page nearly 10th size communist party national membership use chance raise voice environmental issue territorial issue land issue say anh chi 43 vietnamese teacher translator publisher whose real name nguyen chi tuyen vietnam try pressure facebook fb.o google googl.o take thousands items anti-government content march lean advertisers continue prevalence suggest limit success one reason hard take tough action business brewers insurers makers motorbike buzz vietnam streets social media key market route young increasingly affluent consumers economy grow percent year one fast rat asia small businesses crucial one new silk flower shop hanoi tell reuters 95 percent customers find facebook instagram get kid build businesses platforms generate significant success say simon kemp founder kepios market consultancy account tiny part facebook google parent alphabet revenue vietnam hot target global consumer brand asia-pacific facebook fast grow region revenue last year nearly 60 percent tight internet control could dampen innovation impact growth vietnam digital economy competitiveness say jeff paine manage director asia internet coalition whose members include facebook google twitter facebook respond request comment google decline comment vietnam foreign ministry spokeswoman le thi thu hang tell reuters government advocate internet try minimize behaviors harm users illegal act incite violence deprave lifestyle china block facebook 2009 local sit wechat weibo permit operate laws ban content obscene violent offend communist party china remarkable success control discussion say david bandurski co-director china media project fellow robert bosch academy berlin tool include keyword filter local internet company close monitor big network say even china say investigate top social media sit fail comply laws facebook block vietnam occasionally sometimes sensitive moments never long vietnamese authorities try years far fail stop independent journalists bloggers use internet say shawn crispin southeast asia representative committee protect journalists lose battle stop activists target arrest activist pham doan trang note facebook campaigners appear withdraw scene face crackdown say would discourage freedom funny rule tell reuters people know limit freedom never go back vietnam 's facebook dissidents test limit communist state