Find out how the Thai government is standing up to Facebook, threatening to ban it from the country if the social network fails to put an end to the crypto scams that abound on its platform. Take a behind-the-scenes look at a digital tug-of-war in the shadow of Thai smiles.
In a growing conflict between the land of smiles and the social networking giant, the Thai government has issued a scathing warning to Facebook. In a scathing statement, the authorities ordered the social network to take drastic measures to stamp out the crypto scams flooding its platform.
Thailand’s Minister of Digital Economy and Society, Chaiwut Thanakmanusorn, didn’t mince his words. He openly threatened Meta (META), Facebook’s parent company, with cutting short its operations in the country if the necessary measures were not quickly taken to eradicate these prolific scams.
Behind the veil of Thailand’s emblematic smiles lie some blatant scams. The Thai government is denouncing not only crypto scams, but also identity theft linked to the Thai stock exchange and even Thailand’s SEC regulator.
The repercussions of these scams are not small. Tens of thousands of people have been taken in, falling for fake ads promising staggering financial returns through the purchase of dubious cryptocurrencies or gold at knock-down prices.
A potential change to Facebook?
In a deviously elaborate ruse, cybercriminals dared to usurp the identities of renowned financial figures, seeking to lend a semblance of credibility to their malicious acts, the government revealed.
In a race against time, Thai authorities are gathering evidence, ready to present it in court to argue for the closure of Facebook in the country by the end of the month. The financial stakes are high: estimates put the figure at over 10 billion baht, or around 263 million euros, swallowed up in these online scams, a considerable sum for a nation whose average income is nowhere near these figures.
Minister Chaiwut Thanakmanusorn doesn’t hold back his words. He calls Meta to task, demanding accountability from the Thai company for any activity undertaken on its territory. He claims that Facebook has neglected to filter advertisers, inflicting harm on Thai citizens.
In this verbal battle, the minister also urges the public to be wary of advertisements promising profits that are too good to be true. This tension between the country and the social network comes as Thailand prepares to welcome a new Prime Minister, Srettha Thavisin, a change that could potentially impact the country’s posture towards Facebook.
In an era where technology defies physical boundaries, the stakes of this digital confrontation take on a crucial dimension, and the outcome of this face-off could well redefine the interactions between tech giants and nations.
