Meta’s WhatsApp is currently the most popular chat app in Cambodia, with millions of users. However, this dominance is facing a major challenge as Cambodia has just launched a new messaging app called CoolApp, which is competing directly with WhatsApp and Telegram.

In a post on his personal Facebook page, former Prime Minister Hun Sen announced the launch of CoolApp. He hoped the app would “make it difficult for foreigners to interfere with Cambodian people’s information.” Hun Sen also affirmed that national security is at the top of his concerns.

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Former Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said the new CoolApp would "make it difficult for foreigners to interfere with Cambodian people's information." Photo: Bloomberg

According to Mr. Hun Sen, CoolApp is the first Cambodian application developed and used in the field of national security. When other countries have their own social media applications such as China's WeChat, Vietnam's Zalo, South Korea's Kakao Talk and Russia's Telegram, Cambodia also has its own application.

CoolApp founder and CEO Lim Cheavutha said the app has been downloaded 150,000 times. He said CoolApp is not used to monitor, collect or store user data. The app uses end-to-end encryption to ensure data and calls are secure, with only those communicating with each other being able to read or listen to messages and calls.

Mr. Lim Cheavutha predicts that CoolApp's downloads will reach 500,000, even 1 million in the near future.

With Cambodia being the epicenter of online fraud that costs billions of dollars in Southeast Asia, the launch of CoolApp is expected to contribute a lot to changing the problem.

(According to CNN)