Children's data to be banned on the net

[Khun Don]

Children's data to be banned on the net

Personal data of children under the age of 18 will not be allowed to be posted on the Internet in order to prevent crimes against children, according to a resolution made Wednesday by the National Committee to Protect Children.

Social Development and Human Security Minister Paiboon Wattanasiritham, committee chairman, said the meeting agreed to implement the policy to protect children's personal data throughout the cyber world as data disclosure provided easy access to children and led to crimes including kidnapping, rape, robbery and murder.

According to the resolution, Internet providers are not allowed to disclose personal data of children under 18, including photos, age, gender, contact numbers, e-mail addresses or even the usernames of online conversation websites such as MSN.

Violators will face a maximum jail term of six months and a maximum fine of Bt60,000 in accordance with the 2003 National Child Protection Act.

Mr. Paiboon said the committee would send official letters to the Thai Webmaster Association, and another ten major websites, which reveal such data. Providers websites must be adjusted within a one-month period.

The committee, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, will also encourage schools and parents to keep watch on the Internet browsing behaviour of their children to help prevent possible crimes, Mr. Paiboon. (TNA)

Bangkok Post

[guava]

Will this impact on Nong Grace website or effect ISP's only?

[Khun Don]

Had not thought of that! Maybe Richard can edit it to comply?

[guava]

Hope there is a way round it, it would be such a shame if we loose this website altogether

[Tim]

The article talks about internet providers being banned from disclosing information, and I highly doubt it would have anything to do with the Nong Grace site. What I was wondering about the story is why internet providers should be allowed to disclose anyone's personal information publicly unless their approval has been explicitly given. As usual with technology-related issues, this story appears to be about officials who don't quite have a handle on what they're saying.

[David_Loves_Ubonwan]

Will this impact on Nong Grace website or effect ISP's only?

From the article "Mr. Paiboon said the committee would send official letters to the Thai Webmaster Association, and another ten major websites, which reveal such data. Providers websites must be adjusted within a one-month period", suggests to me that it is not only ISPs that are affected.

David

[Khun Don]

The Nation reports it this way:-


Websites told to protect children's information

Ten websites, revealing personal information of children thus possibly giving criminals' access to the kids for crimes, will be given one month to stop showing such information or face up to six months in jail and/or Bt60,000 in fine.

Deputy Prime Minister Paiboon Wattanasiritham, also Social Development and Human Security Minister, Wednesday presided over a meeting of the National Child Protection Committee for a policy to protect Thai children's information on the online world.

As many children were fond of using webistes' services to search for new friends or to post information onto websites and web boards, this resulted to criminals making use of such information access to get to the kids for crimes such as rape, theft and murder, Paiboon said. Thus the meeting assigned a subcommittee for the protection of children's personal information on Information Technology system to launch measures to prevent websites operators and Internet to reveal personal information of children under 18, he said.

Such measures were inline with the Child Protection Act's article 27 that prohibited anyone to advertise or publish personal information of children with intention to damage the children's mentality, reputation and other rights or to seek benefit for the publisher himself or others, Paiboon said.

If any business operators had intention to reveal children's personal information, he would be punishable for up to six months in jail and/or Bt60,000 in fine according to this law, he said.

The Nation

[guava]

Hmmmm seems a possibility this is aimed at social networking sites. There is some controversy here in UK about facebook, myspace etc and criminals using the information for identity theft. Very ambiguous statement though.

Fingers crossed

[Richard Barrow]

According to the resolution, Internet providers are not allowed to disclose personal data of children under 18, including photos, age, gender, contact numbers, e-mail addresses or even the usernames of online conversation websites such as MSN.

This is so ambiguous. It is written by people who don't use the Internet. The term "Internet Provider" refers to the people we use to connect to the Internet. The term "Webmastes" are for people who design and run websites. Is this aimed at websites like Facebook? But, what if the child themselves posted pictures and other details of themselves? Literally thousands of Thai students do this on popular sites. Is this then alright as it is their responsibility? Are we only talking about websites that collect information (for example for applicants for a beauty contest) and then publishes pictures, names and contact address without permission? That would make sense and we would need to protect our children in these cases. However, when someone, like Gor or his daughter, do a personal website about their life, on their own website, then surely it is up to them? Though of course it would be sensible for them not to publish a home address or telephone number.

This new law needs to be made clearer - if indeed it is a new law. Newspapers have a habit of leaving out the word "proposal" or "just an idea".

[Stephen Cleary]

Another great idea!

Like Richard said, proposed by a couple of fuddie-duddies who know as much about the Internet as we do 'Pseudophorisization'. Then again, i guess that perhaps they used to play Pacman when they were young.

A great proposal. This one shall be stored amongst all the classic archives i have.