Bangkok (VNA) – Thailand’s Minister of Digital Economy and Society Chaichanok Chidchob announced that he will summon executives from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, for a meeting on November 20, to explain why the platform allowed “secret groups” to use Facebook as a large-scale marketplace for trading Thai people’s personal data.
The move follows the discovery of a vast data-trading network involving more than nine million names in the country. Local media reported that secret groups on the platform were openly selling citizens’ data without oversight - a serious national security concern that requires Meta’s direct explanation to the Thai government.
The upcoming meeting will involve direct talks between the Thai government’s representatives and Meta’s regional executives to develop a joint plan to combat and prevent cybercrime, including tackling illegal advertisements and online gambling networks that continue to thrive on Facebook.
The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES) will not merely wait for explanations but will propose stronger policies, demanding tighter internal audits and stricter identity verification to prevent the creation of fake accounts for criminal activities.
He noted that the ministry is revising the law to require all platforms, including Facebook, to take identity verification seriously, and must also be held accountable if they fail and people suffer losses.
Chaichanok also revealed the results of operation “Cut Down Scam – Cracking the Personal-Data Trade Network”, which successfully dismantled one of Thailand’s largest cybercrime organisations.
The official stressed that cybercrime, especially call-centre scams and online gambling networks, continues to cause major damage to the public and Thailand’s economy. The government will continue to prioritise the dismantling of these operations while urging citizens to safeguard their personal data, particularly when entering information on unreliable websites or apps./.
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