Impact of the 2007 Computer Crime Act: FCCT Event

Impact of the 2007 Computer Crime Act
A Panel Discussion

8pm, Tuesday January 8, 2013
Members: No cover charge Cover charge for non-members: 300 Baht A la carte menu

In 2007 Thailand enacted the Computer Crime Act, under which illegal activities include inputting obscene data, forged or false data likely to cause injury to another person, the public or national security; and data which constitute a criminal offense relating to national security or terrorism (section 14). Criminal liability is extended to Internet Service Providers that intentionally support or consent to these illegal activities (section 15).

This law has been subject to controversial discussion since it has been used not only to protect internet users from classical computer crimes but to also to block websites which provide political information and allow debates. The most prominent example was the legal case against the Director of Prachatai Chiranuch Premchaiporn.

Since no reliable data was available on the implementation of the Computer Crime Act, ilaw and researchers from the Thammasat University analyzed the cases under the CCA from July 2007 to December 2011 and studied the problems resulting from the law and its reinforcement. Additionally, the study includes a comparison with other computer crime laws in other countries. The most striking findings are that during this time more than 81.000 URLs have been banned and the most frequently content concerns information and images deemed to insult and defame the royal family which accounts for approximately 75% of the blocked URLs.

The results of this study have now been published in a book “Computer Crime?” which will be available at the FCCT event. Panelists will discuss the main findings of the study and its implications for freedom of expression and business operations.

The Computer Crime Act is relevant essentially to everyone who uses the Internet, and more so to those who deal in information from the Internet and base decisions on it, or are vulnerable to information transmitted over the Internet. Join us for an enlightening discussion on Jan 8, 8pm.

Panelists will include

– Sawatri Suksri, a researcher at the Faculty of Law, Thammasart University, who will present the study and its political context
– Ann Lavin, Head of Policy and Government Affairs (Southeast Asia), Google.

Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand
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Patumwan, Bangkok 10330
Tel.: 02-652-0580
E-mail: info@fccthai.com
Web Site: http://www.fccthai.com

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