Election shocker: Over 23,000 candidates’ personal data exposed
The Election Commission (EC) accidentally exposed the national ID numbers of over 23,000 candidates who had advanced to the district-level senatorial elections. The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC)’s Eagle Eye Centre sounded the alarm, revealing the EC Office had breached personal data protection laws.
“The EC Office must immediately conceal the leaked numbers and provide an explanation.”
The PDPC, under the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry, enforces the PDPC Act, safeguarding sensitive personal data. The centre discovered the breach through social media complaints and swiftly alerted the EC Office.
Kengkart Kup-akkarapinyo and Wanna Horkanya, two concerned candidates, submitted a formal petition to EC Chairman Ittiporn Boonpracong, calling for a transparent investigation into the leak. Kengkart and Wanna learned that the leak occurred when the names of the 23,645 candidates were announced via the Line app. Wanna pointed out that Microsoft Excel files containing the candidates’ details were shared publicly, raising fears of potential scams.
The PDPC centre urged social media users not to disseminate the leaked ID numbers. They highlighted that between November and May, they monitored 26,301 government agencies and noted a significant drop in accidental data leaks from 31.40% to 1.21%. This incident, however, underscores the ongoing risks and the necessity for stringent data protection measures, reported The Nation.
In related news, the EC has been ordered by the Constitutional Court to present its list of witnesses and evidence in the high-stakes case against the Move Forward Party (MFP) before the next hearing on June 18. The nine judges of the Constitutional Court convened today to deliberate the EC’s petition to dissolve the MFP. The embattled party had already filed its written defence on June 4.
In other news, the Constitutional Court decided by an 8-1 vote to consider two petitions challenging the legality of key provisions in the law governing the election of the nation’s 200 new senators. The decision has sent shockwaves through the political landscape, raising questions about the upcoming senatorial elections.
