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Thailand's Coffee Shops Told to Track, Save Public Wi-Fi Traffic

Zsombor Peter

   BANGKOK - Logging on to the corner coffee shop's public Wi-Fi in
   Thailand could get a good deal more public in the coming months,
   following a government order that cafés across the country start
   tracking and saving their customers' online activity.

   The Digital Economy and Society Ministry says it needs access to the
   data to help its new anti-fake news center crack down on
   cyber-criminals. Rights groups say it's the government's latest attempt
   to stamp out political dissent and free speech.

   "Government authorities are attempting to use the argument of 'fake
   news' and the power granted under the Computer Crimes Act to silence
   all dissent and to create an environment of fear resulting in
   individuals censoring themselves from questioning [or] criticizing the
   actions of the government," Emilie Pradichit, director of rights group
   Manushya, said of the order.

   She said the "log files" in question could include users' browsing
   histories but also a record of who they send messages to or receive
   them from.

   "This is very concerning since this information will be given to the
   anti-fake news center, that so far has no rules on how it would use or
   assess information and no rules that places limitations on its misuse,"
   Pradichit added.

   The 2007 Computer Crimes Act requires all service providers to record
   users' computer traffic and store the data for 90 days, or up to a year
   if ordered by authorities. But until now the government has made no
   effort to enforce the rule among public Wi-Fi providers, and few shops
   or restaurants have followed through.

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