BANGKOK, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Thailand's Digital Economy and Society Minister Puttipong Punnakanta plans to set up a Fake News Center to combat online scams.
The digital minister confirmed on Wednesday that he is looking to create the Fake News Center to get rid of fabricated, misleading content on social media which might jeopardize the people's safety and property and violate the Computer Crime Act and other laws.
For instance, the digital minister said, content on social media about natural disasters and health care might be fabricated or exaggerated only to confuse and scare viewers. They might be deceived by fraudulent investment scams or lured to buy illegal, hazardous health products online.
He said a dozen government agencies will be asked to cooperate with the Fake News Center such as the police, the military, the Consumer Protection Board, the Food and Drugs Administration and the Public Relations Department, among others.
Thailand currently has some 54 million users of Facebook, 42 million users of Line and 12 million users of Twitter.
