The “Say No to Fake News” campaign was launched on April 1, which coincided with April Fool’s Day. However, the campaign is no joke but rather an initiative to raise awareness and take action against those who deliberately spread misinformation.

The campaign aims to ensure information security, focusing on three main principles: guaranteeing citizens’ right to information, ensuring the quality of information provided to citizens and securing information for citizens’ use.

Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra, speaking at the campaign's opening ceremony on April 1, explained that the campaign is primarily aimed at preventing and combating fake news that is infiltrating social media platforms such as TikTok, Facebook and many other modern media outlets.

“If fake news is spread, we will take action by working directly with Facebook and TikTok to shut down the account. In serious cases, the account owner will face the law because this is no longer the time for education,” he said.

He emphasised that the creation of fake news is not protected by the freedom of the press nor freedom of expression, but is an illegal act in Cambodia.

Pheaktra noted that possible sources of fake news include social media, AI, deepfakes, propaganda, Key Opinion Leaders (KOLs), Multi-Channel Networks (MCNs) and vulnerable individuals.

Information minister Neth Pheaktra launches the campaign against fake news. Supplied

“Fake news has a strong impact on young people who have limited knowledge, lack verification skills or lack patience, leading them to share misleading content, which causes misunderstandings,” he warned.

He stated that the Ministry of Information has collaborated with TikTok and Facebook to reinforce Community Standards for social media usage.

The minister explained that Community Standards are a set of guidelines for users. For instance, posting nude photos, images of corpses or blood, hate speech and racial discrimination all violate these standards.

“We will further strengthen these Community Standards with TikTok and Facebook. We will also use artificial intelligence as an additional tool to detect fake news,” he said.

He noted that the campaign aims to educate the public about the truth and inform citizens about the characteristics of fake news, its effects, and how to combat it.

To identify whether information is true or false, he advised checking whether it has clear sources, whether it originates from a reputable news organisation, and whether it has been published only by a single Facebook account or multiple media outlets.

He urged users who encounter false information not to share it further and to report it through the available Community Standard reporting features on Facebook.

He acknowledged that the 3,651 fake news cases identified in 2024 do not reflect the actual figures, as he believed that hundreds of fake news items are posted or disseminated daily.

Pheaktra also highlighted the significant impact of fake news, which can cause social and security concerns.

“Some fake news involves political, diplomatic or military issues, created with the intent of undermining the country, eroding public trust in the Royal Government, damaging diplomatic relations between Cambodia and neighbouring countries or fostering misunderstandings,” he said.

He added that fake news incites, distorts, misleads and exaggerates, inflaming public anger and fostering racial hatred and discrimination.

Fake news has also evolved into new forms of online harassment, such as cyberbullying, which targets individuals emotionally and has, in some cases, led victims to commit suicide.

It can be categorised into three main types: disinformation, malinformation and misinformation.

Disinformation refers to deliberately fabricated false information designed to mislead the public and cause harm to individuals, organisations or countries.

Malinformation involves true information that has been distorted or selectively shared with the intent of damaging reputations or interests.

Meanwhile, misinformation consists of false information that spreads without malicious intent, often due to a lack of awareness about its accuracy or origin, leading to confusion and misunderstanding.

Ministry spokesperson Tep Asnarith said the “Say No to Fake News” campaign began in Phnom Penh and Kandal province in April and will expand to Kampong Speu and Kampong Chhnang in May. Over the course of a year, the campaign is expected to cover all 25 capitals and provinces.

“After the campaign ends in March 2026, we will summarise the results of its implementation,” he announced.

He added that the campaign is being promoted through traditional and digital media, social media and phone messages, currently reaching 20 million SIM card users.

Meanwhile, the Cambodian Journalists’ Alliance (CamboJA), an independent association of Cambodian journalists, released a report on the state of journalism in 2024.

In its report, published on March 31, CamboJA stated that in 2024, there were 41 reported cases of harassment against at least 64 journalists in Cambodia, including two women.

“This represents a 28 per cent increase from 2023, which had 32 cases involving 59 journalists,” the report noted.

“There has also been a significant rise in legal harassment cases, increasing by 87 per cent from 15 cases in 2023 to 28 cases in 2024,” it added.