PHNOM PENH: The Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation has warned social media content creators that they could face legal action for using children in videos or images that violate their rights and dignity, as authorities move to curb the exploitation of minors for online attention, entertainment and income.
In a new directive, the ministry noted that it had observed the production, posting and circulation of inappropriate and sexually exploitative images and videos involving children on social networks and messaging applications.
It also raised concern over some popular content creators using children to perform in or appear in videos designed to attract attention, entertain audiences or generate revenue.
According to the ministry, some content has involved inappropriate language, gestures or activities that can violate children’s rights, dignity, privacy and child protection standards.
“The consequences can extend beyond what appears on screen potentially affecting children’s education and development and exposing them to economic exploitation, trafficking and other forms of abuse,” the ministry warned.
Under the seven-point directive, anyone seeking to photograph or film children must first obtain written consent from the child or their parent or guardian.
Images and videos involving children must accurately reflect the circumstances in which they were recorded, treat children respectfully and preserve their dignity, the ministry said.
The directive explicitly prohibits producing content that portrays children in sexualised, distressing, humiliating or dangerous situations for the purpose of attracting attention.
Content creators are also instructed to avoid disclosing information that could identify or locate a child, including their school or home address.
The ministry warned that consent should operate alongside broader child-protection obligations, with the directive placing emphasis on children’s rights and best interests rather than merely whether permission has been obtained for filming.
The directive also puts responsibility on the technology sector.
Internet service providers have been instructed to participate in preventing the distribution of inappropriate images and videos involving children, particularly illegal material such as child sexual abuse material, commonly referred to as CSAM, as well as other content that could harm children’s rights or best interests.
Social media companies, meanwhile, have been urged to prevent or remove pages and accounts that adversely affect children’s rights and interests.
Most significantly, the ministry warned that creators and other members of the public who continue producing or using images and videos of children on social media in ways that violate their rights, the law or their best interests could face legal action under existing legislation.
“The ministry will take measures in accordance with the laws in force against content creators or members of the public who continue to use children in photographs or videos on social media in ways that affect the rights, laws and best interests of children,” the directive said.
The ministry cited a broad legal framework underpinning the measures, including the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, Cambodia’s Constitution, the Civil Code and the 2008 Law on Suppression of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation.
It specifically referred to provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child covering privacy, protection from violence and abuse, economic exploitation, sexual exploitation and other activities detrimental to children’s welfare.
Articles 40 and 41 of Cambodia’s 2008 anti-human trafficking and sexual exploitation law, which address child pornography, were also cited as a direct legal basis for preventing and removing illegal material involving children.
The directive also refers to Cambodia’s 2019-2029 National Policy on Child Protection System, the social affairs ministry’s child protection code of ethics and guidelines on online child protection for digital technology companies issued by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
Parents, guardians, private companies and the public have also been urged to report images or videos that exploit children or undermine their rights, dignity, social morality or child-safeguarding principles to the relevant authorities.
Reports can be made through the National Police emergency hotline 1288 or the Child Helpline Cambodia number 1280, according to the directive.
Rather than using children as a means of generating engagement or revenue, the ministry encouraged creators to produce educational content that promotes social morality, culture and traditions, particularly material that advances children’s rights.
The warning comes amid a broader government effort to establish standards for the treatment of children and other vulnerable groups across Cambodia’s rapidly changing media environment.
In April, the Ministry of Information convened officials from six ministries to review a draft set of guidelines on news reporting intended to protect the rights of vulnerable people, including women, children and people with disabilities.
Information ministry spokesman Tep Asnarith said at the April 23 meeting that the guidelines were intended to strengthen professional and ethical standards for journalists and other actors in the information and audiovisual sector, including both traditional and modern media.
The discussions placed particular emphasis on obtaining consent before interviews or reporting, protecting identities and handling stories involving violence, sexual abuse and accidents.
Participants agreed that the faces and real names of women, children or people with disabilities who are victims in sensitive cases should not be disclosed where doing so could cause lasting harm to their dignity, reputation or future.
The draft guidelines also highlighted “Dos and Don’ts”, including a prohibition on commercially exploiting the information or images of vulnerable people, which officials described as a serious violation of individual rights and journalistic ethics.
The information ministry developed the draft with input from relevant government institutions and international organisations, including Plan International Cambodia, Save the Children Cambodia, World Vision International, Unicef Cambodia and CARE.
The increasing focus on child protection comes as social networks have given individuals unprecedented ability to create and distribute content to large audiences without the editorial safeguards traditionally associated with professional media.
Speaking during the second phase of the “Say No to Fake News” campaign in Kep province on July 10, Asnarith stressed that Facebook and TikTok are not themselves formal media outlets in Cambodia and that virtually anyone can create an account or page.
He said Cambodia had more than 15 million active social media users out of a population exceeding 17 million, illustrating the scale at which information and other forms of content can now circulate online.
Among young Cambodians of school age, he said 59% used Facebook and around 35% were active on TikTok.
“Anyone can create Facebook and TikTok,” Asnarith said, noting that most social media users had not received journalism training and that content could be distributed without undergoing professional editorial review or verification.
By contrast, he said professional news organisations were expected to verify information and sources and subject content to editorial review before publication, with accuracy and quality taking precedence over speed. - The Phnom Penh Post/ANN
