iMAP Cambodia 2023 Internet Censorship Report

Key Findings

From July 2022 to June 2023, there were 2,201 websites measured by the OONI Probe tool. The results showed that in Cambodia, 37 (22 global websites and 15 Khmer websites) out of 2201 websites were blocked or censored using Domain Name System Blocking from the Internet Service Providers (Viettel, Ezecom, Wicam, CamSIM, Private Company (iSEEK)). The blocking method used was DNS attempting, whereby the website would be redirected to a timed-out IP address belonging to an ISP or the bogon IP address of 127.0.0.1. Several popular news outlets were also found to be censored: Voice of Democracy (VOD), Radio Free Asian (RFA), and Cambodia Daily.  

WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Signal, Telegram, and the Tor network were accessible across all tested networks throughout the testing period, and no censorship was detected for those applications.

Based on the analysis and findings of the report, we reiterate the recommendations made by the OHCHR. It is recommended that the State (Cambodia) review and revise its current and pending legislation, including the Sub-Decree on National Internet Gateway and the amendments to the Press Law, the leaked draft cyber security law, and the draft laws on cybercrimes. We also recommend that the draft access to information law be passed in order to avoid the use of vague terminology and overly broad restrictions. The UN Human Rights Committee further recommends the state ensures that in the formulation and enforcement of its legislation, including Ministerial Sub-Decrees, any restrictions on the exercise of freedom of expression and association comply with the strict requirements of articles 19 (3) and 22 of the covenants on civil and political rights and convention on human rights

The government should review and consider uplifting the websites detected as blocked by the OONI Probe that exercise the rights and freedom of expression and internet freedoms

Overview

Online news sites and other websites are periodically blocked in Cambodia, particularly those that disseminate information that could be perceived as a threat to the ruling government. However, all of these platforms should be accessible from all networks 24 hours a day in order to promote Digital Rights and Freedom of Expression through online platforms, especially for social media and all websites. 

To examine the current state of internet censorship in Cambodia, the Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), Sinar Project, and the Advocacy and Policy Institute with the participation of Digital Right Working Group (DRWG) collaborated on a joint study to examine whether internet censorship events were persisting in the country through data collection and analysis of network measurements. The aim of this study, which ran from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, is to uncover trends of internet censorship. 

The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI) is a global community that has measured Internet censorship since 2012. OONI tests the blocking of websites and apps and measures the speed and performance of the network. Find out more about OONI at https://ooni.org/. 

The limitation of this report is that it is based only on data generated from OONI, which is obtained from people in Cambodia and across the globe voluntarily running OONI Probe. The intention is to monitor the websites of individual organisations, their partners, and any members that may be blocked at any time, particularly during the national elections and other circumstances.  

Versions of the full report can be downloaded at the links below