Thailand’s Election Commission Launches E- War Room to Monitor Illegal Online Content

BANGKOK – Thailand’s Election Commission (EC) has launched a so-called electronic war room to monitor and prevent illegal online contents related to the March 24 election.

The “cyber warriors” at the e – war room are tasked with detecting and reporting illegal online contents to the commission. They have the duty to enforce Criminal Act and Computer Crime Act, according to EC’s deputy secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee.

The war room has already detected defamatory contents on online platforms used by political candidates and issued dozens of orders for removal, he said.

The EC worked directly with service providers and social media services to prevent illegal acts, said Mr Sawaeng, admitting it was difficult to trace origins of illegal contents.

The EC’s deputy secretary-general warned against sharing insults and hate speeches which violate the Computer Crime Act.

Thailand has seen widespread use of social media platforms such as Line, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, leading political parties to intensify their online campaigns for the upcoming general election.

Source: TNA