Online harassment targeted

[Windsorhai]

Online harassment targeted

CHULEEPORN ARAMNET
THE NATION September 26, 2013 1:00 am

A JOINT CAMPAIGN for personal data protection and against sexual harassment on social media has been launched by the University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (UTCC), the Thai Netizen Network and the Heinrich Boll Foundation.

They also urged the Information and Communications Technology Ministry and the Education Ministry to produce guides for Internet usage and make them available to schools and parents.

Speaking at yesterday's 2nd Online Privacy and Communications Surveillance Conference, UTCC Rector Saowanee Thairungroj said many users shared private information, transactions or personal pictures via the Internet, making them a potential target of criminals or hackers.

The conference was seeking to raise public awareness and encourage more research on this issue.

UTCC law lecturer Jompon Pitaksantayothin noted that social-media sites such as Facebook and Twitter require users to input personal information including pictures, which can leave them vulnerable to sexual harassment and even stalking by ill-intentioned users.

He said that while the number of such cases was growing, the public had little knowledge on good practice for Internet usage and Thailand had no direct law to punish online wrongdoers.

He urged that handbooks on Internet usage be provided for the public, while also recommending that Internet users only upload low-resolution photos of themselves, and refrain from sharing important personal information or images of their sexual exploits over the Internet.