A Ministry of Information spokesperson has warned that the proliferation of fake news — especially concerning the ongoing border tensions with Thailand — have affected the morale of the Kingdom’s troops, as well as the implementation of many of the mechanisms which the government is using to try and resolve issues with their Thai counterparts.
The information ministry’s Anti-Fake News Commission identified 1,053 cases of fake news from July to September, including 857 AI-generated items which related to the border conflict.
Ministry spokesperson Tep Asnarith noted that the ministry has worked with social media companies like Meta and TikTok to curb the spread of the fake content it discovered, especially when it originated from abroad.
“The information ministry collaborated with the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications and the Ministry of Interior to report such content to the parent companies to demonstrate breaches of the ethical codes required by social networks, as well as specific policy breaches of Facebook or TikTok,” he said.
He added that the ministry has also dealt directly with the account owners of social media pages that have disseminated false information, by requesting the removal of certain content that could confuse public opinion or impact national security. It did so in at least 155 cases, while also providing guidance on ethical codes and professional standards.
The ministry launched the nationwide “Say No to Fake News!” campaign in April, with the aim of changing the behaviour of social media users by increasing vigilance and responsible use, while also ensuring the information security of citizens.
