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We are concerned by amendments to Thai legislation that could threaten online freedoms, and call on the Government to ensure the country's cyber laws comply to international human rights standards.
 
The National National Legislative Assembly last week passed amendments to the 2007 Computer Crime Act that could severely restrict freedom of expression, opinion, assembly and privacy. The amendments enable the Government to obtain user information and traffic data from Internet service providers (ISPs) without court approval. Service providers now face the same criminal liability as users of third party online content.
 
The amended law imposes a maximum penalty of five years in prison and fines for entering "distorted" information into computer systems that could damage national security, public safety, economic security, public services and infrastructure, or cause panic among the public. As a result, authorities have more discretionary powers.
 
Our Regional Office has sent a letter to the NLA expressing its concern about the amendments.
 
The statement was originally published via the Facebook page of UN Human Rights - Asia.
 

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