Imagine a world where online platforms are like cities, with their own rules and regulations. Just like how cities have laws to keep citizens safe, online platforms need guidelines to protect users from harm. That’s what Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Prayut Chan-o-cha, is trying to achieve.
He’s ordered the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) to set up a working group to study measures to control Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms like Netflix, YouTube, and Disney+. The goal is to prevent online crimes and copyright infringement.
The study will focus on five key areas:
- Safety: controlling illegal content and verifying user identities
- Content regulation: creating laws, obtaining licenses, and overseeing foreign platforms that operate in Thailand
- Industry promotion and taxation: supporting local businesses and collecting taxes from OTT platforms
- Personal data protection: following standards like the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to prevent privacy violations
- Competition: preventing monopolies and supporting local platforms
However, this isn’t the first time Thailand has tried to regulate OTT platforms. Back in 2017, a similar attempt was made, but it faced several issues. For example, the existing laws were based on cable TV and satellite TV regulations, which didn’t allow foreign operators to obtain licenses. This would need to be changed to allow foreign OTT platforms to operate in Thailand.
Another problem was that not only did the platform owners need to obtain licenses, but also content creators on platforms like YouTube and social media. This raised questions about what criteria would be used to determine who needs a license – would it be based on the number of views or followers? And what about ordinary people who just upload videos of their family on social media – would they need to obtain a license too?
These concerns are still relevant today. In a recent interview, experts expressed support for regulation, but also worries about censorship and the impact on freedom of expression.
As one expert noted, “The key is to find a balance between regulating OTT platforms and protecting users’ rights.” This is a delicate task, but one that’s necessary to ensure a safe and fair online environment for everyone.
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