Chinese online travel giant Ctrip's cooperation with the Cambodian National Tourism Administration has triggered concerns among some Chinese netizens. They worry that Ctrip, which was previously involved in an information leak incident, may expose their personal information to Cambodia's relevant scam syndicates through this partnership. As a result, many users have started to deactivate their Ctrip accounts.
According to reports from HK01, Jiemian News, and others, on December 1, Ctrip Group held a marketing cooperation signing ceremony with the Cambodian National Tourism Administration in Shanghai. Kim Minea, CEO of the Cambodian National Tourism Administration, and Chen Guanqi, vice president of Ctrip Group, signed the cooperation agreement together, marking the official establishment of a strategic partnership in tourism promotion between the two parties.
Ctrip's original intention was to attract more Chinese tourists to visit Cambodia, but the news hit users like a bombshell, with many Ctrip users saying they would uninstall their accounts. Soon after, a screenshot of “Account Permanently Deleted Successfully” went viral in WeChat friend circles.
Some netizens said: “I deleted my Ctrip account I’ve used for eight years last night. I’d rather pay more for flight tickets than get scam calls from Cambodia.” Others rushed to unbind their phone numbers and bank cards, saying, “Wait a moment longer and my information will be gone,” and joked, “Unbinding phone number and bank card overnight, otherwise it’ll be too late for my info.” Still others commented, “It’s not that I don’t trust Ctrip—it’s that I don’t dare to bet my own safety.”
Netizens’ concerns go beyond Cambodia’s security issues; they also relate to Ctrip’s own security record. In 2014, Ctrip experienced a security vulnerability that led to leaks of sensitive user data, including names, ID numbers, and bank card information; in 2018, the company was interviewed by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology over excessive information collection.
Even though Ctrip’s official website lists multiple security assurances, some netizens still worry their personal information could be handed to scam groups. “If I get kidnapped in Cambodia, can Ctrip save me?”
As of December 5, in response to this wave of account deletions, Ctrip has not made any public statement. Some netizens believe that as scam tactics become more sophisticated, criminals use “cheap travel packages” as bait to lure people to Cambodia and force them into scams. Now, with Ctrip choosing to collaborate with Cambodia, its actions are disheartening.