#ไทย: “คำว่าข่าวปลอมถูกใช้เป็นเครื่องมือในการตรวจสอบผู้ไม่เห็นด้วยและจำกัดเสรีภาพออนไลน์”-เอมิลี่ ประดิจิต @ManushyaFdn นี่อาจนำไปสู่การตรวจสอบที่เป็นระบบและทำให้รัฐบาลกลายเป็น “ผู้มีอำนาจในการตัดสินความจริงแต่เพียงผู้เดียว” อ่านบทความจาก @Reuters 👉https://t.co/LbRG4NKRvJ pic.twitter.com/q8dQZ6PtvB— Manushya Foundation (@ManushyaFdn) November 4, 2019
The center is set up like a war room, with monitors in the middle of the room showing charts tracking the latest “fake news” and trending Twitter hashtags.
It is staffed by around 30 officers at a time, who will review online content - gathered through “social listening” tools - on a sweeping range of topics from natural disasters, the economy, health products and illicit goods.
The officers will also target news about government policies and content that broadly affects “peace and order, good morals, and national security,” according to Puttipong.
If they suspect something is false, they will flag it to relevant authorities to issue corrections through the center’s social media platforms and website and through the press.
Rights groups and media freedom advocates were concerned the government could use the center as a tool for censorship and propaganda.
“In the Thai context, the term ‘fake news’ is being weaponized to censor dissidents and restrict our online freedom,” said Emilie Pradichit, director of the Thailand-based Manushya Foundation, which advocates for online rights.
Pradichit said the move could be used to codify censorship, adding the center would allow the government to be the “sole arbiter of truth”.
Transparency reports from internet companies such as Facebook and Google show Thai government requests to take down content or turn over information have ramped up since the military seized power in 2014.
A law prohibiting criticism of the monarchy has often been the basis for such requests for Facebook. In Google’s cases, government criticism was the main reason cited for removal of content.
