An online argument between Thai citizens and internet service provider, True, has resulted in embarrassment for the company and highlighted the much more serious issue of censorship in Thailand.
The incident began on Monday when a female Twitter user sent out a Tweet directed at True’s customer service account asking if the internet service provider had limited access to Pornhub, the world’s most visited pornography website.
The tweet quickly went viral, gaining more than 17,000 retweets and eventually got a reply from the official True Twitter account informing the user that the company had blocked access to Pornhub because it contained inappropriate content.
However, the response from True quickly caused anger and frustration among Thai Twitter users who said that they had a right to watch adult videos if they so desired and shouldn’t be monitored for such online activity.
The immense pressure from Twitter users resulted in a quick u-turn from True who backtracked and said they were not blocking anything and that customers experiencing issues should contact their maintenance team directly.
As of Tuesday afternoon, True internet users could still not access the adult website and there has been no further update from the company regarding the issue.
The situation has once again highlighted censorship and limits on freedom of expression issues in Thailand.
A report released last month by Amnesty International titled “They Are Always Watching” blasted the Thai Government for the restrictions imposed concerning online expression.
True Corporation has often embodied the government’s limits of freedom of expression and censorship. Recently, they posted an ad for candidates to monitor 17 “talk shows and foreign news channels” for content that may go against Thailand’s constitution.
Essentially, they were looking for employees to censor content before it aired on Thai TV.
In regards to pornography, the law is fuzzy at best. Pornographic materials are considered to be harmful to Thai society and in a similar category to Lese Majeste content (criticism of the Thai monarchy).
These regulations were initially implemented following the 2006 coup and have remained in place although very few legal cases have occurred involving adult websites in Thailand.
The main basis of the law regarding adult content is about the production, distribution, and possession of such materials, and “above all” the trade of pornographic content.
However, websites such as Pornhub offer adult videos and pictures for free in addition to paid content. Therefore, the website is not only about trade, leaving the interpretation of the law in the hands of officials.
That is what could be dangerous. When the law is written so broadly it can lead to misinterpretation and allow room for censorship and limiting access to any website or material that is deemed “inappropriate”.
The case of True temporarily blocking access to Pornhub shows how much control internet service providers have over what the public can and cannot access.
However, in this case anyway, the power of public opinion won out and restored access to a website that should be accessible for any adult who wishes to view such content.
Despite the guidelines and restrictions in place, Thailand was 17th in the list of countries that visited Pornhub the most in 2019.
The public has clearly spoken on this matter.
Source: Thai Enquirer
