Data Protection in Cambodia

Data protection laws in Cambodia

 The Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC) announced on 19 February 2021 their intention to prepare a comprehensive personal data protection law after finalizing the draft cybersecurity law.

On 22 December 2021, the Royal Government of Cambodia issued Sub-Decree No. 252 on the Management, Use, and Protection of Personal Identification Data (only available in Khmer) (Sub-Decree 252) in order to promote broad policy objections, such as:

  • ensuring the protection of peace and order;  
  • serving the public interest; and
  • promoting national development by improving the provision of services.

However, Sub-Decree 252 only applies to "personal identification data" owned by the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and does not apply to personal identification data used by other entities.

In September 2023, the MPTC made available to select private organizations and companies a Draft Law on Personal Data Protection for their review and comment. However, it has not been made available to the public as of writing. Therefore, the information provided regarding the data protection law should be used as a reference and not considered final, as the draft law has not been officially released to the public. The Draft Law on Personal Data Protection establishes rules, principles, and mechanisms to govern the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data. Its main objective is to safeguard the privacy rights of individuals and encourage the lawful and responsible use of personal data.

The E-Commerce Law contains provisions for the protection of consumer data that has been gathered over the course of electronic communications. The E-Commerce Law is thereby restricted in scope to virtual and / or digital data protection.

Other matters pertaining to data protection typically fall under the right to privacy, which is protected in broad terms under the Constitution of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2010, the Civil Code of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2007, the Criminal Code of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2009, the Code of Criminal Procedure of the Kingdom of Cambodia 2010, and other specific laws such as the Banking Law.

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