Facebook threatened with closure as it is linked to 70% of online fraud says outgoing minister

[webfact]

Press conference given by outgoing Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn last week in which he threatened that Facebook faces closure in Thailand with both civil and criminal proceedings to be filed by his ministry and the Royal Thai Police. The minister claimed that 70% of all online fraud in Thailand was linked to sponsored pages advertised by Facebook for which it generated large streams of income but had failed to respond adequately to requests from authorities to regulate the threat posed to online users.

In reality, the shuttering of Facebook in Thailand is not a viable option as it would have a catastrophic impact on the country’s online economy and its reputation abroad, immediately damaging confidence. At the same time, the issue is a real one with billions of baht being lost annually by ordinary Thai citizens to online scams which are traumatising families as well as causing huge financial loss and suffering on a grand scale.

Facebook is facing legal action from the Digital Economy and Society Ministry and the Royal Thai Police over its sponsored pages service in Thailand which have been linked to over 70% of online fraud cases according to outgoing minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn. The legal moves against Facebook, including civil and criminal proceedings, according to senior officials, could see the site shut down in Thailand if it fails to address rising security concerns.

 

A new government is expected to be sworn in sometime in mid- September. One of the first challenges facing the newly installed communications minister is a crisis over the future of Facebook in Thailand.

 

by Carla Boonkong & Pranee O' Connor

 

Full story: https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2023/08/28/facebook-threatened-with-closure-linked-to-70-per-cent-online-fraud/

 

-- Thai Examiner 2023-08-29

 

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[John Drake]

So Srettha's first act will be to ban Facebook? Ought to make him even more popular.

[jvs]

Line has no criminal aspects?

Should the Thai government be shut down because of corruption?

Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn should have come with a solution while he was in power.

[JimTripper]

It looks like Netflix is allowed now. Did they unblock that?

[bob smith]

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

Press conference given by outgoing Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn last week

don't let the door slap your bum on the way out!!

[ChipButty]

it also generates a lot of income for Thai people, then they would also need to look at LINE I get a few dodgy messages through that, I never give out my number yet I keep getting added to new friends list, recent messages "are you still in Bangkok" I havent lived in Bangkok for 20 years, 

[impulse]

Fine the beejeezus out of Facebook (or Line, or..., or...) if they fail to clean up the scams.  Use the money to compensate victims.

 

[happysoul]

Before Facebook, that has some kind of moderation, shut down Line, it's full of illicite activities, fake news and no moderation... And is sadly very popular

[bamnutsak]

95% of entrepreneurial small businesses operate on FB.

 

Most large-scale retail service and food businesses drive revenue via FB.

 

Might as well shoot yourself in the temple rather than the foot.

 

IMO, this "outgoing" "caretaker" MDES Minster should close his pie hole.

 

This problem should be solved by working with FB, and not rattling his toy sabre.

 

 

 

[huangnon]

19 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

95% of entrepreneurial small businesses operate on FB.

 

Most large-scale retail service and food businesses drive revenue via FB.

 

 

 

 

 

Also a lot of political dissent, activism, and information is shared on the FB platform. Which is probably the main reason why this "Ministry" wants it silenced.

[bamnutsak]

https://transparency.fb.com/reports/government-data-requests/country/TH/

 

 

[simon43]

The OP states that the problem is with sponsored FB adverts which are fraudulent.  IMHO, FB is totally complicit in this fraud because they have to approve every sponsored advert.  When I have paid for sponsored adverts (for my educational charity app), I know that my advert copy was checked by a real person and on several occasions I had to edit the copy before the ad would be accepted by FB.  Therefore, I'm fairly sure that FB checks every sponsored ad copy and it is FB which gives the all-clear to these fraudulent ads.

 

TBH, you have to be pretty stupid not to spot a fraudulent sponsored advert. "Earn 5,000 baht a day for doing sod-all" etc is clearly some kind of fraud and IMHO FB knows this!

 

 

[ikke1959]

Facebook is not the problem... the people who believe everything and want to get money are the ones who are the victims.. Ban all ads on facebook and educate people..

 

Or is this to attrack tourist in 4th quarter?

[2baht]

What's Facebook again???????

[Robert Tyrrell]

Hello,

I guess this reminds me of a old story , If I have 5 babies and one behaves badly do I punish them all ? NO !!

Thailand should provide there data to show what they say is 70% , Meta should offer solutions and compare there data to Thailand’s data and both parties should work together ???? 

[Cabradelmar]

Not happening. If I had a dollar for every half-baked comment or pronouncement, from self important Thai politicians, that never come to fruition, I'd never worry about money again.

[kennw]

3 hours ago, John Drake said:

So Srettha's first act will be to ban Facebook? Ought to make him even more popular.

Just do it ! If these gossip channels wont police their bad apples then a strong hand is warranted. They do have ample money so spend some on sorting out the problems. Banning FB should spur them into action, why should normal Thai people suffer the cost. 

[Sydebolle]

Shut down the access to Facebook - civil war of unknown proportions; what would all those Thais do during "working" hours instead? Same same with Line!

The ministry goes over the moon over "online cheating" of Thais by Thais; I could act as a perfect raconteur on all those stories, where Thais shortchanged alien for much, much more money and fraud - without Facebook and other virtual platforms ......

 

Educate your people and the problem is solved .......... if a deal is too good to be true, then it usually ............. you know the script! 

[lordgrinz]

In other words, someone who's opinion means nothing anymore. Thanks for the advice, bye!

 

Quote

Press conference given by outgoing Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn

 

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, 2baht said:

What's Facebook again???????

You spelled it wrong, it is Farcebook, or is it Falsebook, or F' arsebook. 555

[Jackbenimble]

Blocking Facebook, however tempting it might be, would be a huge own goal. 

YES - Facebook should do more than it does to combat fraud but it has hown little appetite to do anything about it. The solution is

a) to hit Facebook with huge fines &

b) actually pursue the fraudsters and charge them in accordance with the Law.

They know nobody is coming after them and so there is literally no deterrent..... why would they stop? If they get rumled and "outed" they just create another account. Track them and throw the book at them. 

[VBF]

1 hour ago, ikke1959 said:

Facebook is not the problem... the people who believe everything and want to get money are the ones who are the victims.. Ban all ads on facebook and educate people..

<snip>

....... the people who believe everything and want to get money are the ones who are the victims morons - there you go...fixed it for you. ????

On a less flippant note: the expression "Don't shoot the messenger" comes to mind here.

[Bangkok Barry]

3 hours ago, John Drake said:

So Srettha's first act will be to ban Facebook? Ought to make him even more popular.

How on Earth do you link this to Strettha? It has nothing to do with him. It's a minister from the outgoing government talking about something he will shortly have no authority to do.

[Zapitapi]

1 hour ago, bamnutsak said:

https://transparency.fb.com/reports/government-data-requests/country/TH/

 

 

interesting link.. funny ..USA and UK data isnt displayed tough

[Bangkok Barry]

28 minutes ago, Cabradelmar said:

Not happening. If I had a dollar for every half-baked comment or pronouncement, from self important Thai politicians, that never come to fruition, I'd never worry about money again.

Especially one who is leaving office any day now.

[likerdup1]

LIkely grand standing by this outgoing official to create some noise and get attention as he "exits the building"

[Bim Smith]

They wouldn't dare close it. Most Thais are addicted to it. They need their narcissistic supply from all those selfies in a flower field. In addition get a VPN for nonsense like this. The US restrict act is far more draconian though. 20 years jail for anyone accessing a banned site doesn't sound very "freedom and democracy" to me. 

[milesinnz]

Only the dumbest of governments would threaten to close down Facebook, and then backtrack - which they will... oh hang on, this is Thailand.. it all makes sense now...

[billd766]

3 hours ago, John Drake said:

So Srettha's first act will be to ban Facebook? Ought to make him even more popular.

Has Srettha actually said that, or was it outgoing Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn.

 

It is something for the incoming government to deal with, and NOTHING to do with the caretaker coup government at all.

[Bangkok Barry]

Just now, milesinnz said:

Only the dumbest of governments would threaten to close down Facebook, and then backtrack - which they will... oh hang on, the is Thailand.. it all makes sense now...

Cambodia got there first, according to the linked article.