Bangkok: Chaiyanok Chidchob, the Minister of Digital Economy and Society, is advancing discussions with online platforms to bolster child protection, following a school shooting incident involving a student who accessed regular websites, rather than the Dark Web.
According to Thai News Agency, the Minister disclosed that the student involved in the shooting at Thepsirin Nonthaburi School had visited standard websites, contradicting earlier reports of Dark Web involvement. Chaiyanok emphasized the need for improved security measures, proposing collaboration with platforms and gaming companies to monitor and report accounts with firearm interests to government agencies.
Mr. Chaiyanok clarified that police investigations revealed the student accessed YouTube for educational documentaries rather than violent content. He noted that the content was typical and not something the government could easily restrict. The National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission has previously engaged with companies like Apple and Meta to discuss upgrading protection policies, focusing especially on child protection.
In response to whether the ministry anticipated such issues, Mr. Chaiyanok affirmed that they had been addressing broader concerns about content access, AI, fake news, and scams. He acknowledged that while the problem of children using parental accounts persists, the ministry aims to provide initial protection against accessing harmful websites.
Reiterating the nature of the websites accessed, Mr. Chaiyanok pointed out that the student visited YouTube and other educational sites. He mentioned that the student's actions indicated premeditation and that upon learning of the student's game account and virtual gun shop, they engaged with the gaming association. The intent was not to ban the game but to collaborate with game companies in identifying and reporting risky accounts to authorities for preventive action.