Cambodia's Fake News Campaign Targets Students with Information Literacy Training

The Ministry of Information has rolled out the second phase of its "Say No to Fake News" campaign in educational institutions, framing it as a special "classroom" to equip students with knowledge to effectively identify and counter disinformation. The campaign event was held on the morning of August 7, 2026, at Banteay Ampil High School in Banteay Ampil District, Oddar Meanchey Province. It was attended by Mr. Tep Asnarith, Spokesperson for the Ministry of Information; Mr. Met Meas Pheapheakdey, Deputy Governor and Spokesperson for the Provincial Administration of Oddar Meanchey; along with relevant officials, teachers, and nearly 500 students. Mr. Tep Asnarith further stated that the "Say No to Fake News" campaign, phase two, serves as a "special classroom" beyond the general curriculum, offering crucial additional knowledge to combat false or fake news prevalent on social media daily. The campaign aims to inspire youth to understand fake news and to use smartphones and social media correctly, thereby supporting their studies in this era of abundant technology. Concurrently, he reminded youth and the general public to participate as information security agents for the nation, their families, and themselves by adhering to the "3 Don'ts, 1 Protection" principle. The "3 Don'ts" are: 1. Don't believe immediately upon receiving information from social media; instead, check who sent it first. 2. Don't share immediately; verify the information with official sources first. 3. Don't be negligent in providing personal information to suspicious accounts or sources. And "1 Protection": continuously enhance knowledge about using information and media, strictly adhering to official sources. It is worth recalling that Oddar Meanchey Province is the 14th province to continue the dissemination of the "Say No to Fake News" campaign, phase two. Since its official launch on May 18, 2026, until August 7, 2026, the relevant working group has organized events at 40 high schools and secondary schools. The Ministry of Information plans to continue expanding this campaign to cover all provinces and cities across the country in 2026. Source: Kampuchea Thmey Local