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The Information Ministry has rolled out the second phase of the Say No to Fake News campaign nationwide to enhance information literacy and media for information security, and prevent the spread of fake news. It wants to raise awareness about information literacy and media to the public and stakeholders, especially young people.
The campaign also put forth the implementation of an information security approach by focusing on the dissemination of educational content, how to prevent and protect oneself from the risks and dangers of fake news.
There are five key points of the campaign—eliminating the culture of emotional sharing, distinguishing fake news with AI technology, protecting personal data and accounts, preventing the spread of fake news without sources, harmful, provocative and fraudulent content, and promoting information literacy for families and communities.
Minister Neth Pheaktra said the second phase of the campaign focuses on improving media and information literacy among youth, noting that its need to help young people use smartphones and technology properly and benefiting from it.
“Therefore, state and private media outlets, as well as content creators, must prioritize producing youth-oriented content so that young people can become more resilient in preventing and combating fake news on social media,” he said.
During the launch, Pheaktra shared that about 15 million Facebook accounts and more than 10 million TikTok accounts have been created in Cambodia. As social media usage increases and becomes diverse, and as users fail to think critically about the information they consume, there is a danger of fake news rising.
In 2025 alone, under the framework of the Anti-Fake News Committee, nearly 4,000 cases of fake news were identified. These false reports affected society, peace, stability, and social security, and generally caused social unrest, he said.
The number of fake news cases has yet to decline compared to previous years, Pheaktra remarked, pointing out that 3,200 cases were recorded in 2023, 3,600 in 2024, and nearly 4,000 in 2025.
He said the increase coincided with border tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, alleging that much of this news came from fake accounts originating in Thailand that posted content in Khmer, along with other unidentified sources.
“Therefore, the remedy for combating fake news is to spread true information as fast as possible in order to prevent the spread of false information.
“I can say that we cannot completely eliminate fake news, but we can prevent and contain it. We must adapt to this digital context by becoming resilient and learning how to live with fake news,” said Pheaktra, adding that the campaign would start with an educational outreach to youth in high schools.
He also encouraged media organizations and content creators to publish information based on clear and credible sources, and avoid the publication of fast but unverified information in order to educate young people.
“They should use their influence to educate followers to think before sharing. I believe they should not focus only on gaining views and shares by spreading misinformation. Therefore, I call on media institutions and content creators to join the ministry in educating youth,” said Pheaktra.
The first phase of the campaign began in 2025 to change the behavior of social media users and modern media consumers and prevent the spread of fake news.
The second phase of the campaign was launched with continued support from China under its Mekong–Lancang Cooperation framework after the completion of the first phase which received $1.7 million. In 2026, China allocated an additional $270,000 to support the new phase.
The framework has implemented five projects between 2018 and 2024 aimed at supporting the ministry’s efforts to tackle fake news and improve journalists’ capacity through training programs and exchange visits.
Chamkar Doung High School director Long Sophea welcomed the campaign, as it aimed to raise awareness among youths about media literacy and how to distinguish between true and false information. He observed that with large amounts of information circulating on social media, many users fail to put much thought before sharing content.
He added that false information makes it dangerous for youths to make decisions, and it could create social unrest, and lead youth to absorb negative content that affects their ability to develop their skills and potential.
“This campaign is beneficial to students as it provides guidance and knowledge to help prevent young people from developing negative thinking through false information. Fake news can create confusion and instability in society,” said Sophea, whose school is located in Kep province.
According to the Information Ministry, the first phase of the campaign was “successfully completed”, reaching nearly 10 million citizens through direct campaign activities and distributed messages to more than 23 million users.
About 1,500 media outlets are registered with the ministry, with around 8,000 journalists holding press identification cards.
Ministry spokesperson Tep Asnarith said last year the long-awaited draft Law on Access to Information, also known as the A2I draft, has not been approved because the Justice Ministry is revising the Press Law and drafting a new law to combat fake news to ensure accuracy.
In 2023, former Prime Minister Hun Sen promised that the A2I draft law would be passed after the election, or the latest by 2025 but there is no progress so far.
Ith Sothoeuth, president of the Communication and Media Promotion Organisation, said the purpose of the campaign is positive, as the ministry is focusing on youth media literacy and teaching young people to identify fake news in order to shape responsible behavior among social media users.
He said that when media users cannot distinguish between accurate information and fake news, it can be harmful. However, if young people understand the risks of fake news, the impact can be reduced because they are more aware.
However, Sothoeuth noted some concerns over past incidents, such as the closure of news websites after authorities labeled their reporting as fake news, without providing clear explanations or clarifications regarding the published content.
“To prevent these problems, the ministry could focus on training users to become more responsible. At the same time, the ministry and relevant authorities should provide timely information to the media. Therefore, I believe this campaign could have positive results in combating fake news,” he said.
Khuon Vicheka, spokesperson of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, did not respond to calls at the time of publication.
