AKP Phnom Penh, April 01, 2025 --

The Ministry of Information officially launched the “Say No to Fake News!” campaign this morning, aiming to reduce and ultimately eliminate fake news from Cambodia’s social space. The initiative seeks to ensure information security, which remains one of the ministry’s primary missions.

H.E. Neth Pheaktra, Minister of Information, highlighted the rapid development of information technology and the shift from traditional to modern media. He noted that social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok have become the most popular communication channels, making it easier for fake news to spread.

According to the minister, Cambodia has approximately 13 million active Facebook accounts, while TikTok and Messenger have each around 10 million accounts.

H.E. Neth Pheaktra acknowledged the growing presence of both real and fake news, particularly on social media, which has led to public misunderstandings and negatively impacted public order, society, culture, traditions, and trust in the Royal Government’s leadership.

He cited statistics from the previous year, revealing that 3,651 cases of fake news were recorded, marking a 14 percent increase from 3,208 cases in 2023. Fake news incidents were particularly prevalent in key areas such as national security, public order, politics, diplomacy, military affairs, and government leadership.

H.E. Neth Pheaktra reiterated that creating fake news is not an exercise of free speech or press freedom but an illegal act. He stressed the importance of collaboration from media institutions, content creators and other stakeholders, as well as the community in combating fake news.

At a press conference here yesterday ahead of the campaign launch, H.E. Minister emphasised that most fake news is generated by ill-intentioned individuals abroad seeking to incite unrest, distort facts, and mislead the public. Their aim, he said, is to provoke public anger, racial hatred, defamation, and a loss of trust in the Royal Government, with the ultimate goal of inciting a colour revolution to overthrow the government.

According to H.E. Tep Asnarith, Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Information and Permanent Vice Chairman of the Anti-Fake News Commission, the one-year campaign starts in Phnom Penh capital and will expand to the 24 provinces until March 2026.

In Cambodia, fake news is generally classified into three main categories: Disinformation, Misinformation, and Malinformation.

By Heng Panha