Media in Cambodia

Cambodia's media system has three connected layers. The formal layer includes licensed press, broadcasting, telecommunications and streaming services. The non-formal layer includes Digital Media and Information Literacy training, school life-skills education and journalist capacity-building. The informal layer includes social-media publishing, creator activity, livestreaming, commerce and news sharing. The layers overlap, but their legal force, responsible institutions and access conditions differ. The Ministry of Information (MoI) oversees press activity, broadcasting, media registration and licensing, and journalist identification. The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) handles telecommunications and digital policy, issues public notices about misinformation and coordinates parts of child online protection. The Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC) deals with internet service providers, mobile and internet services, radio-frequency licensing, complaints and telecommunications data. The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts (MoCFA) provides copyright registration services. The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport (MoEYS) supports digital and media literacy in schools. Cambodia recorded 39 internet-service-provider licenses, 4 mobile companies and 69 telecommunications licenses in April 2025. Mobile broadband and smartphones provide the main gateway to media. The April 2025 figures of 20,697,933 mobile subscriptions and 19,620,937 internet subscriptions are subscription totals and do not represent unique people. Internet penetration was recorded at 111.62%, mobile penetration at 117.75% and individual internet use at 68.48%. Media is available in Khmer, English, French, Chinese and Vietnamese, depending on the service and publisher. A .KH domain can support a Cambodian digital presence, but the domain itself does not prove editorial quality, legal authorization or copyright clearance. Press includes newspapers and online, radio and television outlets. The Press Law protects journalistic functions such as confidential sources and provides safeguards against pre-publication censorship, while expression remains subject to the rights of others, good traditions, public order and national security under Article 41 of the Constitution. Press registration, licensing conditions, fees and processing times depend on the current MoI procedure; Cambodia has no single universal media-access tariff or deadline. Broadcasting through terrestrial, cable, satellite or internet channels can require MoI authorization, TRC frequency or telecommunications licensing and permission to rebroadcast or reproduce protected material. Streaming is established but fragmented. The official MoINFO application and private services such as TV360, which held MoI license 041 dated 28 December 2023, illustrate different platform models. Subscription charges, advertising, data use and device requirements vary by provider. Cambodia has no evidenced universal public-service media entitlement or single unified media-access scheme, so access normally depends on the chosen provider, device, data connection and platform. Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Telegram and Instagram are common channels for personal publishing, news sharing, commerce and livestreaming. Platform rules apply alongside Cambodian law. No single national institution regulates every social-media service, although MPTC, TRC and other bodies may act within their separate responsibilities. A public post can therefore create privacy, copyright, defamation, safety or account-enforcement consequences even when no traditional newsroom is involved. Journalism can be entered through a media outlet, professional association, university or training program. No single mandatory national journalism qualification has been evidenced. UNESCO and the Department of Media and Communication support capacity-building, and 3,300 press jackets were distributed to registered journalists in 2025. A cited UNESCO mapping found women represented 9.4% of the journalist workforce. Journalists and creators can face online or offline harassment, discrimination, intimidation and impunity risks; the 2025 Reporters Without Borders ranking placed Cambodia 161st out of 180 countries, in the very serious category. DMIL training develops the ability to access, assess, create and use content safely, responsibly and ethically. Cambodia's DMIL framework was launched by MPTC and UNESCO in 2024, with university and youth dialogues, media forums and other formal and non-formal activities supporting participation. There is no verified enacted standalone access-to-information law in the reviewed legal framework, so a draft proposal should not be treated as an operative right. Young people face specific online risks. More than 80% of 12-to-17-year-olds used the internet, and about three quarters of the population was active on social media in 2025. Around 11% of internet-using adolescents aged 12 to 17 experienced online child sexual exploitation and abuse (OCSEA), estimated at about 160,000 young people. Risks include sextortion, unwanted sexual comments or images, scams, hacking, privacy loss and cyberbullying. The Cambodian Child Online Protection Guidelines, the MoEYS and UNICEF online-safety manual and support from the National Council for Children and partner organizations provide prevention and response frameworks. APLE is referenced by UNICEF as a free anonymous reporting and support option. Privacy settings, blocking, platform reporting and help from a trusted adult are practical protective measures. Copyright protection arises automatically for protected works. MoCFA deposit or registration is voluntary and can help document authorship. Authors, performers, video producers and broadcasters may control reproduction, rebroadcasting and public communication. Short news fragments, quotation, research and education can fall within exceptions, but the exception depends on the use and does not create a general right to copy a complete work. Unauthorized broadcasting or reproduction can lead to civil or criminal remedies, including cited penalties of one to three months and 1,000,000 to 10,000,000 Riels for specified infringements. A publisher should check ownership, permission, attribution and the applicable exception before using another person's photograph, recording, video, article or broadcast.