Junta to build social network alternative, new Internet gateway

Soon no one will need Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, as the government will create its own social network for Thais to use.

The Information and Communication Technology Ministry plans to create a national networking site called “Thailand Social Network,” and a national internet gateway to decrease the “abuse” of the internet.

The ruling junta has made this an “urgent” priority to control content online and combat “provocative” information.

The ministry is planning the “National Digital Internet Gateway” and “Thailand Social Network,” to “ensure safety” for Thai users and crack down on “improper” use of the internet. The projects are expected to finish within two months, according to Surachai Srisarakam, ministry secretary-general.

The national gateway is a policy by the military regime to monitor the country’s internet usage and track down provocative and inappropriate contents, Surachai said.

The Thailand Social Network would be an alternative to global networks such as Facebook, which would apparently remain accessible.

In authoritarian China, sites like Facebook and Twitter are blocked, with authorities providing heavily monitored and censored versions such as Tencent and Weibo.

The Thai ministry has also asked for cooperation from the six main internet service providers and two state telecom enterprises: TOT Plc and CAT Telecom to operate the facility.

For social media, the organization will ask for cooperation from the companies abroad to close down accounts suspected of abuse, Kapook and Bangkok Post reported.



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