PHNOM PENH, Cambodia- In a landscape fraught with digital surveillance and online harassment, Cambodia’s launch of CoolApp has ignited a heated controversy.
Billed as a secure messaging platform, CoolApp promises end-to-end encryption and no data monitoring, but critics argue it’s a new tool for state surveillance under Prime Minister Hun Sen’s regime.
The Rise of CoolApp Amidst an Online Scam Epidemic
CoolApp, founded by CEO Lim Cheavutha, has already been downloaded 150,000 times, with aspirations to reach up to a million downloads.
Cheavutha emphasizes that the app doesn’t collect or store user data, ensuring complete privacy for its users.
“Only you and the person you are communicating with can read or listen to messages and calls — nobody in between,” he assured .
However, this launch comes against the backdrop of a multi-billion dollar online scam epidemic in Southeast Asia, predominantly orchestrated by Chinese gangs.
The rise of CoolApp is raising alarms about potential misuse for scams and surveillance, especially given Cambodia’s recent history of digital repression.
Increased State Surveillance Under Hun Sen’s Rule
Under Prime Minister Hun Sen, Cambodia has seen a sharp increase in state surveillance, censorship, and online harassment.
Independent media outlets and critical voices have been systematically shut down or silenced.
The government’s tight grip on internet freedom has only intensified fears about CoolApp’s true purpose.
Mu Sochua, an opposition leader in exile, warns that CoolApp could be a “Chinese-style mechanism for the control of public discourse and mass surveillance.”
Sochua claims that civil servants are already being ordered to download the app, raising concerns about mandatory surveillance .
Critics like Sam Rainsy, another exiled opposition leader, have called for a boycott of CoolApp, arguing it will bolster the regime’s repressive capabilities.
Rainsy points out the irony of Hun Sen’s promotion of a secure messaging app, given his history of covertly monitoring opposition communications.
He asserts that CoolApp will strengthen tools for repression, rather than protect civil liberties.
