DES Ministry Enlists Social Media Giants to Tackle Fake News Spread in Thailand

DES Ministry Collaborates with Social Media Platforms to Combat Fake News

The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Minister, Prasert Jantararuangtong, announced a strategic move to partner with social media platforms to curb the spread of fake news. After chairing the inaugural meeting of the Anti-Fake News Centre (AFNC), Prasert outlined the government's plan to work closely with these platforms to monitor and manage accounts involved in spreading false information.

This cooperation aims to strengthen efforts in identifying and stopping misinformation, particularly in sensitive areas such as Thai-Cambodian border tensions. The approach includes leveraging technology and increasing manpower dedicated to fact-checking.

Key Measures Agreed Upon with Social Media Platforms

• Focus on fake news related to the Thai-Cambodian border issues.
• Implementation of AI technologies to detect and block fake news.
• Expansion of personnel assigned to verify questionable content.
• Prompt notification to the Electronic Transactions Development Agency when information operations are detected, enabling timely intervention.
• Mandatory identification of advertisers on these platforms before ad purchases are approved.

Minister Prasert emphasized the importance of rapid verification. The DES Ministry will collaborate with the Public Relations Department to confirm the authenticity of suspicious news within three hours of detection. This swift response is critical to maintaining public trust and preventing misinformation from gaining traction.

Legal and Regulatory Actions

The government has assigned multiple agencies to address the legal aspects of fake news dissemination. The Justice Ministry, Royal Thai Police, and Office of the Attorney General will evaluate possible charges against individuals or groups responsible for spreading false information.

Meanwhile, the Office of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission will investigate whether any business operators are engaged in coordinated information operations (IO) aimed at propagating fake news.

For communications professionals, these developments highlight the increasing responsibility of media platforms and regulatory bodies to ensure information accuracy. Staying informed about these measures can help shape effective strategies for managing public relations and crisis communication in the digital environment.

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