Thailand's Computer Crime Act has issues, Google tells censorship committee

[webfact]

Computer Crime Act Has Issues, Google Tells Censorship Committee
By Sasiwan Mokkhasen
Staff Reporter


Photo : Robert Scoble / Flickr

BANGKOK — Internet search giant Google reportedly expressed concern that Thailand’s Computer Crime Act could interfere with its ability to operate in the kingdom.

Following a Friday meeting said to have been attended by representatives from Google Asia Pacific, committee spokesman Apichart Jongsakul said the company will send a letter outlining concerns about the vague use of the Computer Crime Act to the Media Reform Committee, which is tasked with gaining cooperation from companies such as Google to further internet censorship.

Despite expressing anxiety about the law’s ambiguity, the search engine company indicated it was willing to cooperate with Thai authorities and take down websites deemed illegal once a court order was issued, Apichart said.

Apichart said the Google reps, regional government affairs head Ann Lavin and lawyer Vivian Tan, said they’ve always responded to the requests from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology and the Royal Thai Police.

The government committee said late last month that its Jan. 14 and Jan. 21 meetings with Google would be followed by ones with Facebook and messaging app Line at unspecified dates.

Full story: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1453043775

-- Khaosod English 2016-01-18

[condo bought]

Nasty farangs, not understanding good Thai people and Thai ways.

[WitawatWatawit]

Is Google preparing itself for an attitude adjustment?

I think I'd like to know a bit more detail about its concerns other than just a vague expression of concern, and an indication of willingness to comply.

[cigar7]

The Chinese are influencing Thai law and policy. Soon Thailand will be a satellite state, like Hong Kong, of China

[NongKhaiKid]

Just a thought but is it the act per se or how it's interpreted, twisted and mis-used to suit the purposes of those in power ?

With the set up here the prosecution and judiciary aren't strong enough to refuse cases on the grounds they don't fall within strict interpretation of the statute.

The old song ' Bend me, Shape Me Any Way You Want Me ' seems a suitable anthem.

[aussieinthailand]

Is Google preparing itself for an attitude adjustment?

I think I'd like to know a bit more detail about its concerns other than just a vague expression of concern, and an indication of willingness to comply.

One could suggest that the "Computer Crime Act" is ambiguous, vague, and that's just how they like it as interpretation allows room for manipulation.

Kind'a like the sale of alcohol laws in the vicinity, area, somewhere close to schools, education areas, temples,,,, again interpretation allows room for manipulation.

[Reigntax]

The Chinese are influencing Thai law and policy. Soon Thailand will be a satellite state, like Hong Kong, of China

Yes. SE China or Chailand

[deckape]

Censorship Committee

Ahhh yes.

[Somtamnication]

Would be nice to know how many "requests" by the Thais have been responded to.

[clockman]

The Chinese are influencing Thai law and policy. Soon Thailand will be a satellite state, like Hong Kong, of China

It already is, Bangkok has more Chinese, than any city in the world. Outside China!

Edited January 18, 2016 by clockman

[jaywalker]

Google is worth ~$365 billion USD. http://www.ibtimes.com/google-inc-races-apple-1-trillion-valuation-1704135

Thailand's GDP is ~$366 billion USD. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Thailand

Google started about 15 years ago.

Thailand started about 800 years ago.

Thailand has a worthy foe here, as we all know money reigns supreme in Thailand.

[NCC1701A]

google must employ some well educated Thai-Americans.

can you imagine the first meeting about Thailand.

"OK, everybody, we are going to have some legal issues in Thailand.

Let me tell you about my country, you are not going to believe it."

[jaywalker]

google must employ some well educated Thai-Americans.

can you imagine the first meeting about Thailand.

"OK, everybody, we are going to have some legal issues in Thailand.

Let me tell you about my country, you are not going to believe it."

cont'd.... "First off when you explain in perfect Thai that you only want one pepper in your somtam, you will get 6.

Next, be prepared for lots of blank stares if you ask for any shape or form of efficiency...We will ask for it, in perfect Thai. We are native speakers, but just don't expect it to happen. Blank stares are taught at every level of society to be the proper response, no matter what the question is."

[AGareth2]

The Chinese are influencing Thai law and policy. Soon Thailand will be a satellite state, like Hong Kong, of China

soon?

Look at the richest guys in Thailand

[chainarong]

The whole crux of this exercise is the ladies running the show can't take criticism , mind you Google needs to lift its game or I might look for another home page, they intend to co-operate with the junta when they sort out the legal issues, the big buck rules the waves no morals here to be seen , Google should tell the Junta to go and take a walk, but then again they cowered to the Chinese Government , that say's it all...........................................

[trogers]

Probably the same issues they faced in China...

[jaywalker]

The whole crux of this exercise is the ladies running the show can't take criticism , mind you Google needs to lift its game or I might look for another home page, they intend to co-operate with the junta when they sort out the legal issues, the big buck rules the waves no morals here to be seen , Google should tell the Junta to go and take a walk, but then again they cowered to the Chinese Government , that say's it all...........................................

Good point about the money. It rules supreme in Google's board room as well, where it should reign supreme being a company with responsibilities to its shareholders.

It's a bit of a conundrum.

Of course this would not be the case if Thailand did not have a board of directors that appointed themselves as such with tanks and M16's.

Then again, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. It's the Land of Oz.

[WhizBang]

Is Google preparing itself for an attitude adjustment?

I think I'd like to know a bit more detail about its concerns other than just a vague expression of concern, and an indication of willingness to comply.

One could suggest that the "Computer Crime Act" is ambiguous, vague, and that's just how they like it as interpretation allows room for manipulation.

Kind'a like the sale of alcohol laws in the vicinity, area, somewhere close to schools, education areas, temples,,,, again interpretation allows room for manipulation.

And by manipulation, I presume you mean extortion er, the passing of brown envelopes.

[Bluespunk]

The Chinese are influencing Thai law and policy. Soon Thailand will be a satellite state, like Hong Kong, of China

Hong Kong isn't a satellite state of China, it is part of China.

[chainarong]

Probably the same issues they faced in China...

Not quite the same , if you take a look, the Junta intends to increase the conscription by three hundred thousand , more students removed from the scene , now with the computer and mobile services being monitored the students can't get organised ,and neither can anyone else , they are paranoid that people don't like them , they need to be loved , they remember what the students did the last time and they know the students wont be so kind if or when there is a next time, but guess what, the students will beat them if they wanted to , what comes around goes around.

[MaxLee]

Google is not our father......................

[WhizBang]

google must employ some well educated Thai-Americans.

can you imagine the first meeting about Thailand.

"OK, everybody, we are going to have some legal issues in Thailand.

Let me tell you about my country, you are not going to believe it."

cont'd.... "First off when you explain in perfect Thai that you only want one pepper in your somtam, you will get 6.

Next, be prepared for lots of blank stares if you ask for any shape or form of efficiency...We will ask for it, in perfect Thai. We are native speakers, but just don't expect it to happen. Blank stares are taught at every level of society to be the proper response, no matter what the question is."

You are assuming that you can get people to look up from their smartphones first. LOL

Today, while heading to Home Pro, I took the MRT and as I was leaving the station, observed the on duty security lady on the incoming side of the security screen, playing with her smartphone while people just walked on through, the metal detector beeping away. She never even bothered to look up.

No joking.

[oneday]

Things are getting pretty bad here. I can't wait to get home to the land of the free.

Only 13 more days and it's goodbye Thailand.

[bark]

google must employ some well educated Thai-Americans.

can you imagine the first meeting about Thailand.

"OK, everybody, we are going to have some legal issues in Thailand.

Let me tell you about my country, you are not going to believe it."

Well educated Americans. Really ?

[NCC1701A]

google must employ some well educated Thai-Americans.

can you imagine the first meeting about Thailand.

"OK, everybody, we are going to have some legal issues in Thailand.

Let me tell you about my country, you are not going to believe it."

Well educated Americans. Really ?

ok there boy, you sure got a pretty mouth. i am going to drag you behind my pick up truck with a rope and feed you to the coyotes. but first i got stop having sex with my sister, so i am pissed off now.

yeah, somehow us dumb ass backwards Americans made it to the moon.

And the Federal Reserve Bank owns the whole frickin' planet. but don't worry you can get together with all the very well educated people outside the US who have never owned a house or known any real freedoms. You can talk about how smart you are if only you where free to do something with your ideas or had any money left after 90% taxation.

Google, Apple, Microsoft. Chinese companies, right? started by more dumb ass Americans and people who came to the US to be free.

i am so dumb i hope i can find my way home... maybe i will use this GPS thing... oh sorry another American dumb ass thing. Internet? The transistor? Integrated circuits? the airline industry? the auto industry? gee we dumb ass Americans sure are lucky all this stuff just fell into our laps. no doubt stolen from "German rocket scientists".

ok there, nice to meet you. now my cousin is going to make you squeal like a pig.

[Bangkok Barry]

i am so dumb i hope i can find my way home... maybe i will use this GPS thing... oh sorry another American dumb ass thing. Internet? The transistor? Integrated circuits? the airline industry? the auto industry? gee we dumb ass Americans sure are lucky all this stuff just fell into our laps. no doubt stolen from "German rocket scientists".

ok there, nice to meet you. now my cousin is going to make you squeal like a pig.

America did not invent the internet, despite what you think and Al Gore claimed. Google Tim Berners-Lee.

Edited January 18, 2016 by Bangkok Barry

[Bench499d]

American did not invent the internet, despite what you think and Al Gore claimed. Google Tim Berners-Lee.

The US did invent the internet (Google ARPANET). Sir Tim invented the World Wide Web.

[Bench499d]

Despite expressing anxiety about the law’s ambiguity, the search engine company indicated it was willing to cooperate with Thai authorities and take down websites deemed illegal once a court order was issued

Google can't itself "take down" websites unless they are Google websites...what they are in fact agreeing to do is edit the search results so they don't display the banned sites, and more likely than not this will just be the results obtained from google.co.th. not .com. They already do this is the EU for similar reasons as well as the "right to be forgotten" so nothing new really.

[elgordo38]

The whole crux of this exercise is the ladies running the show can't take criticism , mind you Google needs to lift its game or I might look for another home page, they intend to co-operate with the junta when they sort out the legal issues, the big buck rules the waves no morals here to be seen , Google should tell the Junta to go and take a walk, but then again they cowered to the Chinese Government , that say's it all...........................................

Yes you nailed it a draw dropper all the way around. Google Greed is the game The big buck rules the waves no morals only money. Sad what the world has become. They would dance with the devil if there was any profit involved. I to use Google but am seriously looking for a good alternative.

[RogueLeader]

Google is sadface about censorship but really, really likes money and influence. No-one should be surprised at this.