The Thai authorities' ultimatum to Facebook once again raises the question of the balance between free speech and the responsibility of internet giants. After numerous complaints about ads of financial fraudsters flooding the social network, the government threatened to completely block Facebook in the country. Experts fear that such drastic measures could harm the Thai economy, but the situation should not be left as it is.
Unfulfilled demands
The conflict did not come out of thin air. According to Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, Minister of Digital Economy and Society, the authorities have repeatedly demanded that Facebook clean up the platform of fraudulent investment schemes, but the company has ignored these calls.
"Thai authorities have repeatedly asked Facebook to remove fraudulent advertisements, but the social network has failed to provide us with proper assistance in fighting financial crimes," Chaiwut emphasized.
According to him, Facebook's inaction has affected more than 200,000 Thai citizens who have lost a total of 10 billion baht (about $280 million) on investment scams.
Scammers' tricks
At the press conference, the minister revealed the clever tricks used by scammers to lure gullible Facebook users.
They pretended to be really existing and even listed companies. They actively used the logos of government regulators like the Securities and Exchange Commission in their advertising to give themselves credibility.
In advertising posts made enticing promises of huge profits from investments. In reality, however, people who fell for the scammers' offers never saw any money.
Decisive measures
The patience of the Thai authorities has run out, and now they intend to take drastic measures to force Facebook to cooperate.
The government plans to file a lawsuit in court demanding to completely block Facebook on the territory of Thailand.
According to Minister Chaiwut, if Facebook wants to continue operating in the country, the company must finally start taking responsibility for its platform and help the authorities to deal with violations.
Risks for businesses
However, Thailand's tough measures have a downside. Many experts warn that blocking Facebook could seriously damage the country's Internet economy.
After all, the social network is actively used by local companies to conduct business and promote goods and services. Forced disabling of Facebook will actually leave these companies without an important channel of communication with customers.
In addition, the users themselves will suffer, for whom Facebook has long been an integral part of everyday life.
Balance of interests
As you can see, the conflict between Thailand and Facebook does not have an unambiguous solution. On the one hand, the social network is really bad at combating violations and actually indulges fraudsters. On the other hand, its blocking is fraught with collateral damage.
Perhaps the way out should be sought in a compromise. For example, Facebook could create a special hotline for user complaints and respond quickly to calls from the authorities to remove illegal or malicious content.
Whatever happens, the outcome of this standoff could set an important precedent in the relationship between technology giants and national governments. Facebook's future not only in Thailand, but also globally, depends on how willing it is to negotiate and meet with regulators.
Author of the article: Ekaterina Antonova
