More than 30 ministries, organisations, associations and national and international institutions recently met to explore measures to strengthen online safety and protect children, including a proposed age limit for social media use, as concerns over children’s online safety grow.
The discussions focused on international practices, technical options for age verification, and potential social, educational and technological challenges that could arise if Cambodia introduces age restrictions for social media users.
Participants also discussed potential legal obligations for social media companies, the promotion of digital literacy and a whole-of-government approach to strengthening online child protection.
Chun Vat, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications, said Cambodia had more than 20 million internet users as of 2025, with more than 79 percent of the population actively using social media platforms.
He said several countries had introduced age restrictions and age-verification measures to protect children from online risks, while others had focused on the responsibilities of technology companies and parental controls.
For Cambodia, Vat said age restrictions could be one possible solution, but technical challenges must also be considered, including the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass restrictions and uncertainties surrounding biometric age-verification systems.
He stressed the need for discussions among ministries, institutions and other stakeholders to determine a policy direction that balances protecting children from online risks with their right to access information.
- Tags: Cambodia, social media
