Stop Fake News seminar run by LINE and Digital Economy ministry

The Minister of a Digital Economy and Society, Puttipong Punnakanta, opened a Stop Fake News seminar to promote online media literacy and discretion before sharing information and news with other Thai youth, to prevent the spread of misinformation.

The seminar was run in conjunction with Thailand’s most popular messaging App, ‘LINE’. Apart from representatives from LINE, the seminar also involved communication arts and journalism students.

LINE Thailand CEO Phichet Rerkpreecha says the company has been cooperating with the Ministry of a Digital Economy and Society to set up an anti-Fake News Centre to prevent the spread of fake news in Thailand. The platform, popular for its messaging service, will offer a group where users can share and verify online stories in the future.

“The ministry’s Fake News Centre is being set up by a team working to verify the correctness and accuracy of information, using specific technologies in keeping with international standards, which are beneficial to the general public. LINE will be visiting the centre to follow up on its establishment and operations.”

Mr Phichet said today that LINE currently has 44 million users, while its LINE TODAY news service now has more than 1 trillion participants in readership per month. He said the seminar today marks a good start to creating an understanding among the news audience and their ability to discern fake news and misinformation. The seminar was held in Bangkok yesterday, and will also be held in Khon Kaen at Khon Kaen International Convention and Exhibition Centre, where some 400 communication arts and journalism students and teachers will be participating.

SOURCE: National News Bureau of Thailand