WorldRisk

Which passport do you hold?

Risk to a traveller depends on their nationality. A country that sanctions your destination, or is sanctioned by it, changes how you are treated on arrival. Choosing here adjusts every score on the site.

We hold travel advice written for four nationalities so far. Selecting anything else shows the neutral baseline, and every page says so where it applies rather than presenting it as an assessment made for you.

Kept in your browser only. Nothing is sent anywhere, and you can change it at any time from the header.

All countries

Cambodia

67High67 of 100, High band, 50 to 74good confidence(7/7 dimensions)
What this score means
Extreme75 to 100
Severe and systematic. Device search, interception and detention over online activity are documented rather than theoretical. Reconsider what you carry and what you say.
High50 to 74
Substantial and consistently evidenced measures. Device inspection, monitored networks or restricted services should be expected rather than treated as unlikely.
Caution25 to 49
Some risk, and manageable with precautions. Measures are evidenced but are narrow, inconsistently applied, or the picture is mixed.
Low0 to 24
Ordinary precautions. No systematic device search, network restriction or prosecution of visitors for online speech is evidenced.

Government travel advice is written for one citizenry, so the same country carries a different assessment depending on your passport. Change it in the header.

Showing the baseline, which weights every issuer equally. No government in our corpus publishes travel advice written for you, so this is not addressed to you specifically.

Dimensions

Each dimension is scored independently, because the traveller who cares about legal exposure for what they have posted is often not the one carrying client data. Higher means more risk.

Speech and legal exposure

What legal risk attaches to what I have said online, or say while I am there?

91Extreme91 of 100, Extreme band, 75 to 100

good confidence8 independent sources

Why this score (21 sources)

  • Freedom House 2026 scored KHM 1 of 4 on freedom to express personal views on sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution.

    Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01

  • Freedom House 2026 scored KHM 0 of 4 on free and independent media.

    Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01

  • V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored KHM 2.68 of 4 on how routinely the government censors political content on social media, where higher is freer.

    V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31

  • V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored KHM 0.48 of 4 on how often people are arrested for political content they posted online, where higher is freer.

    V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31

  • Cambodia - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution; Cambodia - Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution

    US Department of State, Travel Advisories · observed 2026-09-15 · written for USA nationals

  • FCDO advice for Cambodia: avoid_all_but_essential_travel_to_parts.

    UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice · observed 2026-03-19 · written for GBR nationals

  • Cambodia: Exercise a high degree of caution

    Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories · observed 2026-10-14 · written for CAN nationals

  • Cambodia (Kambodscha): Teilreisewarnung: partial travel warning in force

    Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise · observed 2026-08-18 · written for DEU nationals

  • On 30th January 2026, the Phnom Penh Municipal Court convicted six individuals, including at least three members of the political opposition for incitement linked to their social media posts.

    CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-05-07 · extracted by language model

  • Vorn Van was detained on 15th January 2026 after sharing a critical Facebook post, questioned by police and the provincial court, and charged with incitement and insulting the king under the Criminal Code.

    CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-05-07 · extracted by language model

  • Freedom of expression remains curtailed in Cambodia, with many individuals being arrested and convicted for their comments on the border conflict with Thailand, the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLV-DTA) or criticising the government, according to human rights group LICADHO.

    CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-10-07 · extracted by language model

  • The government punishes dissent with arbitrary detention, often followed by coerced confessions or public apologies, and engages in pervasive surveillance and transnational repression of critics who have fled to other countries.

    CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-05-07 · extracted by language model

  • All the people were charged with incitement to commit a felony under Articles 494 and 495 of the Criminal Code.

    CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-05-07 · extracted by language model

  • Cambodian authorities are using the Thai-Cambodia border conflict as a pretext to intimidate those who express their views on social media.

    CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2025-12-01 · extracted by language model

  • Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association (ADHOC) published a report which analyzed incidents in 2024, noting that more than 90 percent of outreach activities of “democracy, civil and political rights” were restricted by local authorities, which are in violation of national and international laws.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-02-10 · extracted by language model

  • More than 2,000 media outlets and 10,000 journalists, including those critical of the government have been “operating freely” in analog and digital formats “without censorship in 2023”, he said.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2024-05-09 · extracted by language model

  • Heang was arrested on 7th July 2025 for posting criticism of amendments to Cambodia’s Constitution and Nationality Law on Facebook and charged with “incitement to disturb social security” and “insult” under Articles 494, 495, and 502 of the Criminal Code.

    CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2025-12-01 · extracted by language model

  • On 16th July 2025, the Koh Kong Provincial Court sentenced Deth Huor, a community representative from Chi Khor Loeu commune, to one year in prison for defamation and malicious denunciation amid a long-running land dispute with sugar tycoon Heng Huy.

    CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2025-12-01 · extracted by language model

  • It also highlighted the use of vague “incitement” laws to stifle dissent, alongside rising censorship and reprisals against independent journalists.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2024-12-06 · extracted by language model

  • On 5th March 2026, the Phnom Penh Appeal Court upheld the convictions of Nuon Toeun, who had been working in Malaysia when she was arrested and deported in late 2024 over Facebook posts at the request of Cambodian authorities.

    CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-05-07 · extracted by language model

  • Their 16-year-old son, who has autism, was also jailed for several months in 2021 over social media posts critical of the government.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2026-07-08 · extracted by language model

Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).

3 excluded sources
  • CamboJA News, via a site scoped search, observed 2024-07-16: aged out after 2 years.
  • CamboJA News, via a site scoped search, observed 2024-07-08: aged out after 2 years.
  • Global Voices (Advox), via a site scoped search, observed 2023-12-04: aged out after 3 years.

Network threat

How hostile is the network environment to a foreign visitor, from state actors and criminals alike?

84Extreme84 of 100, Extreme band, 75 to 100

good confidence5 independent sourcesEvidence is ageing: contributing sources are weighted at 50% of full strength.

Why this score (11 sources)

  • ITU Global Cybersecurity Index 2024, Technical pillar: 4.56 of 20.

    International Telecommunication Union, Global Cybersecurity Index · observed 2024-12-31

  • Freedom House scored Cambodia 14 of 25 on obstacles to access in Freedom on the Net, a category covering state control over internet infrastructure and gateways, regulatory and ownership control over service providers, and the independence of the regulator.

    Freedom House, Freedom on the Net, obstacles to access · observed 2025-01-01

  • For Cambodia, which ranked among the top 20 countries for criminality, criminal markets and criminal actor scores, the spread of transnational online scam networks and the illicit industry’s convergence with other crimes remains a marquee concern and continues to draw international scrutiny.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-11-10 · extracted by language model

  • Raids on suspected online scam rings rolled out across Cambodia on Thursday night, but major known compounds were left untouched – even as hundreds were seen fleeing one of them and boarding buses, underscoring reports that operations had continued despite a supposed crackdown last year.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-07-18 · extracted by language model

  • The ranking reflects Cambodia’s well-documented role as a hub for transnational crime and cyber scams.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-04-01 · extracted by language model

  • Cambodia has become a major center for forced online scams , with trafficked victims coerced into global fraud operations.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-03-18 · extracted by language model

  • The government will establish an Inter-Ministerial Task Force Committee to fight online scam operations, an effort which seems to come on the heels of widespread criticism of alleged large-scale cyber-scams in Cambodia.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-01-27 · extracted by language model

  • With limited digital acumen, Cambodians have been conned out of nearly $40 million in online scams in just the first six months of this year, highlighting how the notorious cyberscam industry in the country targets not just foreigners but also Cambodians.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2024-10-18 · extracted by language model

  • 最近、カンボジアにて好条件の仕事があるなどとして日本を含む外国で希望者を勧誘し、カンボジア到着直後にパスポートや連絡手段を取り上げ監禁状態に置いたうえで、電話詐欺などの不法行為に従事させる事案が多数発生しており国内外で大きな問題となっています。

    Our translation: Recently, there have been numerous cases in Cambodia in which people are recruited abroad, including in Japan, with offers of favourable jobs and, immediately after arriving in Cambodia, have their passports and means of communication taken away, are placed in confinement, and made to engage in illegal activities such as telephone fraud, making this a major problem both domestically and internationally.

    Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas travel safety information · observed 2026-08-15 · written for JPN nationals · extracted by language model

  • The suspects had been part of a sophisticated scam operation based at casino complexes mainly in Poipet (on the Cambodia-Thailand border).

    The Vietnamese Magazine, via a site scoped search · observed 2026-05-29 · extracted by language model

  • Over 3,000 foreigners were detained in Baolong 3 in the Poipet city area on April 29.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2026-05-05 · extracted by language model

Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).

1 excluded source
  • CamboJA News, via a site scoped search, observed 2024-07-30: aged out after 2 years.

Encryption and VPN legality

Are VPNs and strong encryption lawful, and can I be required to install an application or hand over keys?

76Extreme76 of 100, Extreme band, 75 to 100

moderate confidence1 independent source

No law or enforcement action was found restricting the use of a VPN or strong encryption here. The score below is drawn from general indicators for this country rather than from anything observed about this risk, so it describes an absence of reports rather than evidence that the risk is absent.

What the score rests on (1 indirect source)

  • V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored KHM 0.77 of 4 on whether the government regulates the internet in a way consistent with international human rights standards, where higher is freer. This does not establish whether encryption or VPN use is lawful. It measures internet regulation in general, and is used as indirect evidence because the only survey that reads encryption law directly was published in 2019.

    V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31

Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).

Surveillance and interception

How comprehensively are communications intercepted, retained, and monitored, and is commercial spyware in use?

73High73 of 100, High band, 50 to 74

good confidence5 independent sourcesEvidence is ageing: contributing sources are weighted at 54% of full strength.

Why this score (9 sources)

  • Freedom House 2026 scored KHM 1 of 4 on freedom to express personal views on sensitive topics without fear of surveillance or retribution.

    Freedom House, Freedom in the World · observed 2026-01-01

  • V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored KHM 1.58 of 4 on how comprehensively the government monitors social media and private online communication, where higher is freer.

    V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31

  • V-Dem Digital Society Project 2025 scored KHM 1.45 of 4 on how far privacy protection law shields communications from government access, where higher is freer. This measures what privacy law permits rather than what monitoring is practised, so it is read here as a constraint on interception rather than a measurement of it.

    V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project · observed 2025-12-31

  • The World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2025 scored KHM 0.14 of 1 on whether freedom from arbitrary interference with privacy is effectively guaranteed, a measure built from expert assessments of warrantless interception of communications.

    World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index, sub-factor 4.6 · observed 2025-01-01

  • Cambodian Journalists Alliance Association (CamboJA) has released a report on the restrictions to digital rights and freedom of expression in Cambodia, noting that the government is monitoring journalists and citizens who exercise their right on the internet.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2023-11-24 · extracted by language model

  • The government punishes dissent with arbitrary detention, often followed by coerced confessions or public apologies, and engages in pervasive surveillance and transnational repression of critics who have fled to other countries.

    CIVICUS Monitor country updates · observed 2026-05-07 · extracted by language model

  • The restrictions were characterized by way of regular surveillance, setting up of barricades on the streets to prohibit citizens from joining forums, as well as recording names after they return from those events.

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2025-02-10 · extracted by language model

  • “Intimidation, surveillance, threats, or judicial harassment are also used on a regular basis to target those who dare to speak up.”

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2023-11-23 · extracted by language model

  • “Intimidation, surveillance, threats, or judicial harassment are also used on a regular basis to target those who dare to speak up.”

    CamboJA News, via a site scoped search · observed 2023-12-04 · extracted by language model

Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).

Data jurisdiction

What happens to corporate or client data I carry into the jurisdiction?

62High62 of 100, High band, 50 to 74

moderate confidence1 independent source

Why this score (1 source)

Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).

Connectivity continuity

How likely am I to lose access to the internet, or to the specific tools I depend on?

43Caution43 of 100, Caution band, 25 to 49

good confidence8 independent sources

Why this score (29 sources)

Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).

1 excluded source
  • CamboJA News, via a site scoped search, observed 2023-11-23: aged out after 3 years.

Border device risk

How likely is my device to be searched, imaged, or seized at the border, and can I be compelled to unlock it?

42Caution42 of 100, Caution band, 25 to 49

good confidence5 independent sources

No reports were found of devices being searched, imaged or seized at this border, or of travellers being compelled to unlock them. The score below is drawn from general indicators for this country rather than from anything observed about this risk, so it describes an absence of reports rather than evidence that the risk is absent.

What the score rests on (5 indirect sources)

Report an inaccuracy (corrections need a link to the reporting, statute or research that shows it).

Trend

02550751002026-08-162026-10-16

The overall score is up 6.2 points over 61 days, from 60.8 to 67. Most movement is the event overlay decaying rather than anything happening: a news signal loses half its weight every three weeks, so a score drifts back toward its structural baseline on its own. A step that holds is the one worth reading.

Check this yourself

These are not inputs to the score for Cambodia. They are where to look if you want to test what is above against something we did not use.

Sources

This assessment draws on 15 sources: Auswärtiges Amt, Reise- und Sicherheitshinweise; CamboJA News, via a site scoped search; CIVICUS Monitor country updates; Freedom House, Freedom in the World; Freedom House, Freedom on the Net, obstacles to access; Georgia Tech Internet Intelligence Lab, Internet Outage Detection and Analysis; Global Affairs Canada, Travel advice and advisories; International Telecommunication Union, Global Cybersecurity Index; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, Overseas travel safety information; Open Observatory of Network Interference, OONI measurement data; The Vietnamese Magazine, via a site scoped search; UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Foreign travel advice; US Department of State, Travel Advisories; V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, Digital Society Project; World Justice Project, Rule of Law Index, sub-factor 4.6. Every contributing claim is quoted with its origin and date above. Model version 0.12.0, computed 2026-10-16.

If something here is wrong, say so. Corrections are handled in public, and we correct because the evidence is wrong, not because someone objects.