Internet Freedom in Cambodia

ByMoses Ngeth

Communication CoordinatorOf

Community Legal Education Center (CLEC)

Content

• History of Internet Using • New age of Social Networking and Citizen

Journalist• Internet Censorship• Cyber-Crime Law

Briefing of Internet Usage in Cambodia

• Started in May 1997: via a 64 kbps satellite link to Singapore

• Internet users

– 500,000 in 2011 (World State Report)

– 178,142 in 2010; 74,082 in 2009; 70,495 in 2008 (World Bank)

• ISP: 27 companies in 2010

• Mobile Operator: 9 companies in 2011

• Mobile Subscriber: estimation 13 millions = 87% of population in 2012

• Facebook Users: 551,300 users = 3.74% of population

New Age of Social Network & Citizen Journalist

• Facebook users: 551300 – Penetration of

population: 3.74%– Penetration of

online population: 112.17%

– grew by more than 102420 in the last 6 months

New Age of Social Network & Citizen Journalist (Cont.)

• They first went to facebook for fun but now they are on facebook for news gathering, reporting, group talking/sharing…

• Some journalist roles can be seen in some young facebook users. They share about:– Road accident– Flood in town– Human Rights abuse– Social security

New Age of Social Network & Citizen Journalist (Cont.)

New Age of Social Network & Citizen Journalist (Cont.)

New Age of Social Network & Citizen Journalist (Cont.)

New Age of Social Network & Citizen Journalist (Cont.)

Internet Censorship

• Cases of Censorship:- February 2009, UK-based corruption watchdog the

Global Witness website had blocked after released 70-page “Country for Sale” report on January 5th.

- December 2010, ISPs were ordered to block KI-Meida and Khmerization news blog sites (Popular anti-government blogs)

- December, 17th 2012: UN World Food Program staff was charged of incitement after he shared an article with two co-workers. (Link to KI-Media)

Cyber-Crime LawWhy? Reason 1 (Spreading False Information)

• “We need to prevent any ill-willed people or bad mood people from spreading false information, groundless information that could tend to mislead the public and affect national security or our society. We need to control this,” Press and Quick Reaction Unit spokesman Ek Tha said.

• “For instance, there was a mobile phone message saying that there was a violent clash near the Cambodia-Japan Friendship Bridge between supporters of the [Cambodian People’s Party] and the [Sam Rainsy Party] yesterday evening, but it was totally false,” the deputy prime minister was quoted as saying.

“[P]eople use modern technology to spread false information, so we need a law to regulate them.”

ANZ customers received fail information

Many e-mail users received cheating messages.

Cyber-Crime LawWhy? Reason 2 (Hacker Attack)

UN website in Cambodia was hacked

National Police website was hacked

Ministry of Interior was hacked

ASEAN website was hacked.www.asean2012.mfa.gov.kh

ASEAN website was hacked.www.asean2012.mfa.gov.kh

Thank you