Surely every Government has a Department monitoring internet and email traffic? That's exactly what GCHQ in the UK and the Pentagon in the USA do...
British and American politicians would just say they're doing it as part of the ongoing "fight against terrorism" which they feel effectively allows them to do anything because "it's in the public interest."
I'm sure Thailand is no different.
Computer laws would give government control of internet
Re: Computer laws would give government control of internet
True, but this seems particularly insidious ...
Understanding Thailand’s revised Computer Crime Act
LOCAL media, rights advocates and the general public in Thailand are railing over amendments to the Computer Crime Act (CCA) 2007, claiming the changes are sweeping in scope, overly-ambiguous, and open for abuses by the military junta government to curtail political dissent.
Thailand is already known for its strict lese-majeste laws – described as the world’s toughest – which are used to protect the exalted royal family from insult or threat. The military government is also seen as sensitive to criticism, particularly of its seizure of power in 2014. The fear is that the rebottled CCA will be wielded as a tool to punish such criticism and that with it goes the last vestiges of Internet freedom in the kingdom.
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/12/ ... rimes-act/
More offences, more ambiguity
Section 14: A maximum five-year jail term and a maximum THB100,000 (US$2,700) fine or both awaits the person who enters false data into a computer system that could cause damage to the public, create panic, or cause harm to public infrastructure, national security, public security or economic security.
Those who input any kind of computer data that is deemed as obscene, offensive to the kingdom, or that is terrorism-related will also be tried under the section.
Any person who decides to forward the data described above despite knowing of its potential damage will be subject to the same penalties.
What it means: Ambiguity of the section opens up the law to abuse. Authorities sanctioned by the government can decide what kind of content is considered damaging as well as determine the intentions of the person who posted such content and the person who shared it with others.
Service providers will be punished too
Section 15: Any service provider who “cooperates, consents or acquiesces” to a computer crime shall face the same penalty as the offender
What it means: The section allows the ISP that complies with a minister’s request (via procedural rule) to remove offensive data to be exempted from penalty. However, the existence of such curbs indicates the burden of proof ultimately lies with the ISP under probe. Ultimately this could lead to self-censorship (ie. arbitrary blocking of content and sites) to avoid run-ins with the authorities.
Expanding the scope of the law to include all other offences
Section 18: Offences committed under other laws that were done with the aid of a computer, computer data or computer storage device can also be punishable under this law. The authorities are then allowed to, for the purpose of evidence acquisition, be allowed to seize and hack into systems in order to gain access to the data in question.
What it means: Privacy violations. Investigators can access “traffic data”, which may contain personal data, without a court order in respect of the section. The section also allows the authority to access encrypted computer systems or encrypted data in the system.
Arbitrary powers for government-appointed cyber snoops
Section 20: The “Computer Data Screening Committee”, a powerful five-member government-appointed panel, can recommend an authority to apply for a court order to block or delete content that does not violate any law but that is deemed to be a breach of public order and morals.
What it means: Arbitrary powers to block content deemed sensitive, even if they are not in violation of any existing law. The authorities can act as moral crusaders by policing online content and determining what they feel are breaches.
Understanding Thailand’s revised Computer Crime Act
LOCAL media, rights advocates and the general public in Thailand are railing over amendments to the Computer Crime Act (CCA) 2007, claiming the changes are sweeping in scope, overly-ambiguous, and open for abuses by the military junta government to curtail political dissent.
Thailand is already known for its strict lese-majeste laws – described as the world’s toughest – which are used to protect the exalted royal family from insult or threat. The military government is also seen as sensitive to criticism, particularly of its seizure of power in 2014. The fear is that the rebottled CCA will be wielded as a tool to punish such criticism and that with it goes the last vestiges of Internet freedom in the kingdom.
https://asiancorrespondent.com/2016/12/ ... rimes-act/
More offences, more ambiguity
Section 14: A maximum five-year jail term and a maximum THB100,000 (US$2,700) fine or both awaits the person who enters false data into a computer system that could cause damage to the public, create panic, or cause harm to public infrastructure, national security, public security or economic security.
Those who input any kind of computer data that is deemed as obscene, offensive to the kingdom, or that is terrorism-related will also be tried under the section.
Any person who decides to forward the data described above despite knowing of its potential damage will be subject to the same penalties.
What it means: Ambiguity of the section opens up the law to abuse. Authorities sanctioned by the government can decide what kind of content is considered damaging as well as determine the intentions of the person who posted such content and the person who shared it with others.
Service providers will be punished too
Section 15: Any service provider who “cooperates, consents or acquiesces” to a computer crime shall face the same penalty as the offender
What it means: The section allows the ISP that complies with a minister’s request (via procedural rule) to remove offensive data to be exempted from penalty. However, the existence of such curbs indicates the burden of proof ultimately lies with the ISP under probe. Ultimately this could lead to self-censorship (ie. arbitrary blocking of content and sites) to avoid run-ins with the authorities.
Expanding the scope of the law to include all other offences
Section 18: Offences committed under other laws that were done with the aid of a computer, computer data or computer storage device can also be punishable under this law. The authorities are then allowed to, for the purpose of evidence acquisition, be allowed to seize and hack into systems in order to gain access to the data in question.
What it means: Privacy violations. Investigators can access “traffic data”, which may contain personal data, without a court order in respect of the section. The section also allows the authority to access encrypted computer systems or encrypted data in the system.
Arbitrary powers for government-appointed cyber snoops
Section 20: The “Computer Data Screening Committee”, a powerful five-member government-appointed panel, can recommend an authority to apply for a court order to block or delete content that does not violate any law but that is deemed to be a breach of public order and morals.
What it means: Arbitrary powers to block content deemed sensitive, even if they are not in violation of any existing law. The authorities can act as moral crusaders by policing online content and determining what they feel are breaches.
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europtimiste
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Re: RE: Re: Computer laws would give government control of internet
Oh, North Koreans have access to the World Wide Web. Learn something new every day.europtimiste wrote:Same N. Korea
Re: Computer laws would give government control of internet
More specifically, the NSA in the US.Chazz14 wrote:Surely every Government has a Department monitoring internet and email traffic? That's exactly what GCHQ in the UK and the Pentagon in the USA do...
British and American politicians would just say they're doing it as part of the ongoing "fight against terrorism" which they feel effectively allows them to do anything because "it's in the public interest."
I'm sure Thailand is no different.
Thais detain nine suspected of hacking government sites
"BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai police have detained nine people suspected of hacking government websites to protest against amendments to a cyber security law that critics say strengthens the authorities' oversight of the internet.
Parliament passed legislation this month amending a cyber crime law, which rights groups said would likely to lead to more extensive online monitoring by the state.
In response, hackers launched a wave of cyber attacks last week, shutting down dozens of government websites.
The government said the websites were only down temporarily and the attacks caused minimum disruption.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters nine people had been arrested in connection with the hacking.
One of those arrested has been charged with breaking the cyber crime law, police said.
"The rest remain in custody and are being processed in accordance with the law," police spokesman Dejnarong Suthicharnbancha told Reuters. ..."
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/thais-detain ... 00619.html
Parliament passed legislation this month amending a cyber crime law, which rights groups said would likely to lead to more extensive online monitoring by the state.
In response, hackers launched a wave of cyber attacks last week, shutting down dozens of government websites.
The government said the websites were only down temporarily and the attacks caused minimum disruption.
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters nine people had been arrested in connection with the hacking.
One of those arrested has been charged with breaking the cyber crime law, police said.
"The rest remain in custody and are being processed in accordance with the law," police spokesman Dejnarong Suthicharnbancha told Reuters. ..."
https://www.yahoo.com/tech/thais-detain ... 00619.html
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?