ETDA starts drive to clean up internet

ETDA starts drive to clean up internet

The Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) has joined forces with seven private internet-related organisations to set up self-regulation in online communities in a bid to tackle the spread of illegal online content.

Director Surangkana Wayuparb said the move is the first of its kind in the country's cyber community to create a code of conduct for faster and transparent processes.

The ETDA yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with the PKI Association, Thailand Information Security Association, Internet Foundation for the Development of Thailand, Thailand ISP Association, Thai e-Commerce Association, Google Asia Pacific as well as eBay.

Mrs Surangkana said the self-regulated community is intended to create clearer measures for how to deal with illegal online content, particularly pornography, terrorism, drugs, deception including spam and phishing, and intellectual property rights.

She said the sector has lacked a common agreement and standards to categorise which content is illegal.

"We are working to settle details of the code of conduct within one year," Mrs Surangkana said, adding that illegal content must be removed within 15 days of the code's implementation.

The broadcasting and radio sectors have self-regulation and industry regulators overseeing content, but no specific organisation is responsible for content in the online community. she said.

Anan Kaewruamwong, chairman of the Thailand ISP Association, said the collaboration represents up to 90% of content providers.

In the past four years, at least 50,000 web addresses were required to remove illegal content, mostly pornography or content that was considered a risk to national security.

Srida Tanta-atipanit, manager of the Internet Foundation for the Development of Thailand, said the foundation had received up to 300 requests from international organisations in the past three years to remove child pornography hosted in Thailand.

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