One out of three Vietnamese urbanites even regard sharing personal information as necessary and important in the virtual world, according to a survey of 500 participants aged 18 to 54 in Hanoi and HCMC on data privacy released last month.

The survey by HCMC-based market research firm Indochina Research shows 25 percent saying they do not understand usage of their personal data, which includes email, phone number, age, and basic demographics.

Besides, only a third agree their personal information is valuable, significantly lower than 74 percent of European respondents and 75 percent of those in Asia Pacific.

The Vietnamese survey is part of a global study by Italy-based Worldwide Independent Network for Market Research and Dutch global trade association ESOMAR, involving over 25,000 respondents across 40 countries and territories.

More Saigonese think their personal data is valuable to collectors than Hanoians - 37 percent versus 27 percent.

Only 41 percent of Vietnamese claim hey have been victims of data misuse via spam, phishing, email hacks, leaked personal or bank account details.

Meanwhile, two thirds of Europeans and 80 percent of North Americans say they have been victimized in these ways.

"Vietnamese seem to face less trouble with data privacy," the survey concludes.

When it comes to sharing their whereabouts, the majority of Vietnamese urbanites (70 percent) claim they occasionally or almost never do so. Hanoians are more cautious about revealing their locations online than Saigonese.