The Ministry of Interior's Department of Information Technology called on the public who use deepfake – an artificial intelligence-generated media that enables users to replace the subject in an existing photo or video with another – to use it responsibly with regard for the laws and report any crime that might occur through the increasingly popular platform.

The department said besides the many benefits, deepfakes can be used in the wrong ways by opportunists.

It said deepfakes are currently popular in Cambodia, especially among young Facebook and TikTok users. Their popularity, the department said, could spur opportunists to take advantage by producing pornographic images using the face of a victim for the purpose of defamation, extortion or blackmail, among others.

“The IT department recommends that the public use technology like deepfakes with ethics and in line with the Cambodian laws.

"Please alert the victim if you see his or her pictures or videos that have been altered through deepfakes and report to the authorities,” it said.