December 17, 2025Dec 17 AI-generated illustration | via The Thaiger Trip.com has abruptly ended its partnership with Cambodia's tourism authorities following privacy concerns voiced by users in China and Thailand. This move comes after Chinese users expressed fears that their personal information might be exposed to scam operations, triggering a significant backlash and a wave of account deletions on Trip.com's parent platform, Ctrip. On December 1, Trip.com had signed a tourism promotion agreement with Cambodia’s National Tourism Authority. However, shortly after, a surge of concern erupted among Chinese users. Many shared screenshots of their deleted Ctrip accounts online. One user stated, “I cancelled my Ctrip account last night after using the platform for eight years.” Past data leaks by Ctrip, particularly in 2014, appear to have compounded these fears. The apprehension has not been contained to China; it has spilt over into Thailand, where local media reported that users were deleting the Trip.com app. In response to the mounting anxiety, Trip.com announced it would cancel the cooperative initiative with Cambodia. Trip.com issued a statement clarifying that the agreement was purely for promoting tourism and maintains it did not involve any sharing or selling of personal data. The company emphasised its dedication to user trust and outlined its robust privacy and data protection policies. They stressed that similar partnerships exist with other countries, all designed to enhance tourism without compromising user security. This situation unfolds amidst wider concerns about fraud activities linked to Cambodia. Notably, South Korea has implemented travel restrictions for its citizens to certain Cambodian areas associated with scam operations. These include Bokor Mountain, Bravet Town, and Poipet City, whose impacts extend to neighbouring nations like Thailand and Vietnam, as reported by The Thaiger. Key Takeaways: Trip.com cancels its cooperation with Cambodia's NTA due to user privacy concerns. Chinese and Thai users deleted accounts, fearing data leaks to scam gangs. Trip.com affirms its commitment to privacy and cancels the agreement to reassure users. Adapted by ASEAN Now from The Thaiger 2025-12-17
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