Phnom Penh (VNA) - Cambodia has called for stronger cooperation among ASEAN member states, media organisations and technology platforms to address misinformation and challenges posed by technology-generated media content.
The appeal was made by Cambodian Minister of Information Neth Pheaktra at the opening of the ASEAN Multistakeholder Symposium on Mitigating Disinformation and Managing Synthetic Media in the Digital Era, held in Phnom Penh on November 4.
Neth Pheaktra said the rapid spread of false and misleading information, coupled with advances in generative artificial intelligence (AI), is posing increasingly complex challenges to regional societies. While digital transformation has expanded access to knowledge, connected communities and driven innovation, the misuse of emerging technologies is making fake and fraudulent content more convincing and difficult to verify. This could erode public trust, facilitate fraud and undermine mutual understanding among ASEAN communities.
He stressed the need for a common ASEAN approach to promote responsible innovation and strengthen the capacity of institutions, media professionals and the public to identify and respond to harmful content. He also called for a clear distinction between deliberately fabricated misinformation, unintentional errors and differing social opinions.
The minister outlined four priorities: improving access to reliable information; enhancing media and information literacy; strengthening cooperation with digital platforms and technology providers; and establishing practical mechanisms for regional cooperation through knowledge-sharing, research and capacity-building.
He noted that existing ASEAN mechanisms, including the meeting of the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI), the Senior Officials Meeting Responsible for Information (SOMRI) and the ASEAN Task Force on Fake News, provide important foundations for regional cooperation.
The symposium brought together policymakers, media experts, researchers and technology partners to share experience and seek practical solutions to misinformation and synthetic media content./.
VNA
