Journalism under Digital Siege: The impact of digital transformation on media viability, safety of journalists, and public trust in Thailand

In the past five years, both news audiences and advertising revenues have rapidly increased on internet platforms in Southeast Asia. Globally, the number of social media users has nearly doubled from 2.3 billion in 2016, to 4.2 billion in 2021[1]. 

While the digitalization of the media industry enables people to have greater access to information, it does not necessarily lead to more reliable journalistic contents. The digital ecosystem has unleashed a flood of news contents through which large internet companies behave as the new gatekeepers. At the same time, mal- and spyware are increasingly used by governments and the private sector for their technical sophistication, undetectability, and reduced costs. 

In this context, the surveillance of journalists’ movements can now be broader, more invasive and longer lasting. There has also been a surge in online violence against journalists which disproportionately affects women journalists all around the world.

In Thailand, since the largest anti-government protests reached its peak in July 2020, civil unrest continued throughout 2021 despite a coronavirus ban on large gatherings[2]. According to collected data by Mob Data Thailand, from 2020 to the end of 2021, there have been at more than 1,200 protests of which more than 50 of them were suppressed[3]. 

At the same time, the state’s restrictions on freedom of expression through online surveillance have been increased. Since the military coup of May 2014, there have been numerous developments concerning the Thai state’s ability to monitor, influence, and control the population, both online and in the physical realm[4].  In May 2019, the country’s Cybersecurity Act came into force to give broad power to the committees established under the Act and require online service providers to comply with their orders in relation to what authorities consider to be a “risk to national security”, among other provisions[5].

Thailand’s developing digital authoritarianism and its ability to monitor Thai netizens have been manifested through numerous court cases against politically sensitive activities online and offline. Such cases were filed by the Thai authorities by including evidence retrieved from social media accounts and electronic devices[6]. 

Against this backdrop, the Thai judiciary has been caught up in the middle of political tensions – and while the legal institution framework, has at times failed to protect freedom of expression — on several occasions, it has rejected government requests to restrict content and censor online platforms, by instead ruling in favor of individuals who faced criminal charges because of their online activities[7].

To commemorate the World Press Freedom Day on 3 May 2022, UNESCO in cooperation with the Faculty of Communications Art, Chulalongkorn University, will organize an online public discussion to highlight the multifaceted ways in which recent developments in surveillance by state and non-state actors, as well as big data collection and artificial intelligence (AI), impact journalism, freedom of expression and privacy in Thailand. 

The webinar will raise awareness on FoE and the digital landscape contributing to both duty bearers and right holders on the issues while advocating for an open dialogue between different stakeholders to enhance public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms, in accordance with national legislation and international agreements, which is recognized as a target in SDG 16.10


The points of discussion include: 

  • Thailand’s current situation of freedom of expression and the impacts from the digitalization of media industry and increasing use of AI/Advanced Technologies: experience sharing by rights holders such as journalists, and civil society, and media associations.   
  • MDES and judicial actors to balance the utilization of AI/Advanced technology which can be used for building knowledge societies, however, at the same times, can also be a hindrance of such development due to their usage for maintaining national securities and public orders.
  • Building on international best practice and Thailand’s own lessons learnt from impacts of the digitalization of media industry and the increasing use of AI/Advanced technologies — how could Thailand improve freedom of expression, safety of journalists, and media viability?  

Keynote Presentation – Rachel Pollack

Keynote-1_Global-Report-Key-FindingsDownload

Keynote Presentation – Dr. Aim Sinpeng

Keynote-2_Sinpeng-UNESCODownload

[1] https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/03/1113702

[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53589899

[3] https://prachatai.com/english/node/9527

[4] https://thediplomat.com/2021/02/thailands-creeping-digital-authoritarianism/

[5] https://freedomhouse.org/country/thailand/freedom-net/2021#footnote4_r85imzj (Section A3 – footnote 31)

[6] Ibid (Section C3 – footnote 143-150)

[7] Ibid – Overview