The Nation (Thailand)
08-11-1998
THE country's massive Internet regulator, the Communications Authority
of Thailand, has come up with the idea of having local Internet service
providers restrict their customers from accessing Web sites that the authority
deems undesirable, in spite of the total failure of such proposals in other
countries.
The plan will force local ISPs to erect technical barriers such as
Internet filtering software, ''to protect Internet users from immoral or
improper information on the Internet''.
According to a source from CAT -- which is a compulsory shareholder in
all ISPs in Thailand -- CAT's governor and its legal team will soon send
letters to all local ISPs asking for ''cooperation'' in making it impossible
for their paying customers to access Web sites considered by the authority
to be inappropriate.
''The plan is expected to make the Internet network clean and free
from being a means to motivate Thai youngsters towards immoral acts,''
the source explained.
He said that the plan would call for local ISPs to set up measures to
examine what he called pornographic sites routinely, as well as insisting
that ISPs use Internet filtering software to monitor so-called indecent
sites.
''When Internet users attempt to enter sites on a list, a filter will
examine the requested site, and if it's related to what we consider pornography,
the software will cut the connection automatically,'' he explained.
He said that in these cases, CAT will give full rights to local ISPs
to block explicit materials on the Internet.
Since Thai society is highly moral in character with its shy, modest
people easily offended by sexually-related material, established in a country
where sexual exploitation is virtually unknown, using the Internet to access
indecency or improper information should be blocked sometimes, the source
commented.
The source added that CAT planned to send the letter seeking
cooperation to local ISPs this month to ''encourage'' ISPs to implement
protective measures as soon as possible.
In the meantime CAT will also ask local ISPs to block certain existing
sites on a case-by-case basis and if new sites emerge that are considered
undesirable they should be added to the list.
The idea is a result of news last month that a Web site planned to
broadcast the first sexual encounter between a couple who claimed to be
18- year-old virgins. This site was subsequently cancelled after being
proven a hoax.
''After this incident, CAT considered it has a moral duty to protect
society from explicit material on the Internet, especially youngsters in
Thailand,'' he said.
Anew Corporation's vice chairman Prasart Sribhadung has also agreed to
protect the firm's customers from what he said was improper content on
the Internet network.
He said that if the authority sent a letter to the company seeking
''cooperation'', the company would filter its Internet services.
''I think that such protection will help preserve the high moral
standards in Thai society and Thai culture, keeping it on the right path,
while preventing our children from absorbing so much of that improper Western
influence that is so contrary to our established standards,'' he said.
Meanwhile at Loxley Information Systems, (Loxinfo), the president,
Vivatvong Vichit-Vadakan said the company would also cooperate with CAT
in its attempt to determine what was appropriate for adults.
However he said that the best way to protect Internet users,
especially impressionable youngsters, was at the family level, rather than
forcing ISPs to take this responsibility, because many Web sites that seemed
sexually related were actually of a medical nature and provided useful
educational content.
''Parents should pay closer attention to what their children access
and teach them to separate good from bad things,'' he added.
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