Minister of Digital Economy and Society wants 42 websites banned

Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, the Minister of Digital Economy and Society, has asked the court to ban access to 42 websites including YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook pages that are spreading the controversial Lazada advert.

He was responding to a contracted ad on e-commerse platform Lazada, where 2 influencers, Nara Aniwat and Thidaporn “Nurat” Chaokuwiang wear hi-so clothing, who royalists deemed to be mocking the Thai Royal Family and the disabled. The video went viral and it was trending for a few days last week before conservative activists decided that the imagery appeared to be mimicking members of the Thai royal family.

Since then the hashtag #banlazada has sparked a movement for Thais to stop using the popular online shop. Additionally Lazada have issued an apology saying that no offence was intended and that the campaign was contracted from a third-party ad agency and was not overseen by Lazada management in Thailand.

The Ministry and the Technology Crime Suppression Division are now partnering to collect evidence so that action may be taken against any digital platform or website that shares the video.

They claim to have discovered 42 websites who were sharing the advisement. Chaiwut added that the government will also tell the owners of the 42 sites that the content must be removed “or they face legal action”.

“Influencers, advertisement and PR companies should each have their own standards, guidelines and have an orginisation to monitor their work so they don’t come across any illegal issues.”

“It’s not right for government agencies to give them orders because they have their freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Constitution. But please respect the law and go by the norms acceptable to Thai society. Do not do post anything that is unacceptable to Thai society. If they do it, their business will get hurt.”

The Thai army, Air Force and Navy have already ‘banned’ access to their bases for Lazada deliveries and gone so far as recommending that recruits and soldiers, and their families, should not use the online platform.

Chaiwut believes the Thai government would need to act and make a statement about the Lazada ‘incident’ and other platforms that Thailand “will not not accept any controversial advertising”.

“If we don’t remind them or make known our disapproval, similar actions will continue endlessly. We have to send a signal to foreign businesses and foreigners that Thais cannot accept such things and they must stop doing this to Thailand.”

SOURCE: Nation Thailand