The Ministry of Interior is seeking to expedite the drafting of a cybercrime law to protect the safety of all Cambodians when using devices such as mobile phones and computers and to help state institutions defend against cyberattacks in response to the rapid technological advances.

Chea Pov, director of its Anti-Cybercrime Unit, said that in order to speed up the drafting, the ministry convened a meeting on June 27 to discuss the details attended by its permanent secretary of state Sak Setha.

He added that this law has been in the works since 2016 and has not been finished yet because work on it was temporarily suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic and that it was a very complex issue to deal with because technology continues to rapidly evolve year after year.

“We do not dare say when it will be finished, but we are speeding up the work and we have met for talks to review the draft law's contents,” he said.

Pov continued that the commission working on this law will speed up its drafting to help state institutions and the general public who regularly fall victim to hackers.

Im sothy, executive director of the NGO Youth Council of Cambodia, said on June 27 that the acceleration of the drafting is good because it is necessary to protect people, but the ministry should discuss it with relevant bodies and other sides in depth before it is approved.

“This law is important. When it is promulgated, Facebook users won't be able to keep posting false information with impunity that deceives and endangers the public," he said.

The draft law aims to guarantee the integrity of the use and management of computer systems, devices and databases and to crack down on cybercrime in order to protect security, public order and the rights and freedoms of everyone, he said.