Thailand’s Stance Against Online Scams Thailand’s government has voiced its concerns over the proliferation of misleading investment scams on Mark Zuckerberg’s renowned social media platform, Facebook. Notably, these allegations revolve around false advertising that may have misguided over 200,000 individuals into investing in deceptive ventures. During a recent meeting, Chaiwut Thanakmanusorn, the Minister of Digital Economy and Society (MDES), along with other ministry officials, addressed the potential threats these deceptive advertisements present to the public.
According to credible sources, Facebook might have indirectly played a role in luring the masses into fraudulent business investments and misleading government programs. Furthermore, the social media titan allegedly earned ad revenue from these very scam artists who misled innocent people with crypto trading schemes that projected daily returns of up to 30%. These scammers have even utilized images of renowned personalities to enhance their appeal, ensnaring more people into their web of deceit. Chaiwut stressed the magnitude of the issue, stating that the cumulative losses from these scams are estimated at a staggering 10 billion Thai Baht.
Thailand’s Expectations from Facebook On numerous occasions, Thai officials have sought Facebook’s cooperation in combating the menace of fake advertisements, emphasizing the need for the platform to implement stringent ad screening protocols. Regrettably, their pleas have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. The Minister poignantly noted, “While we’ve approached Facebook multiple times about this pressing issue, the platform hasn’t been proactive in addressing the scams.”
Given the gravity of the situation, the MDES is diligently gathering evidence related to the fraudulent ads. Preliminary estimates suggest that there might be more than 5,300 such misleading advertisements circulating on the platform. If these alarming numbers hold true, it underscores the pressing need for immediate remedial action.
In a recently held press conference, the ministry underscored their intention to petition the court to impose a seven-day ban on Facebook operations in Thailand, should the platform not show a genuine commitment to resolving the prevailing concerns. In a final remark, Minister Chaiwut firmly declared, “Facebook must step up and take responsibility if it intends to continue its operations in Thailand.”
