Cyber police are investigating the source of a URL linked to a social media livestream featuring obscene content, while warning that people who like or share such material could also face legal action.
The sex livestream was widespread, worming its way into many popular pages. Watchers included Drama-addict and the Disease Control Department.
Pol Maj Gen Chatchaphanthakan Klaiklueng, deputy commissioner of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB), said on Sunday that officers had been ordered to examine the URL involved in the explicit livestream on Facebook on Saturday night, to determine who owned the page and identify the individuals appearing in it.
He said that if the page owner or the people featured in the broadcast are Thai nationals or are in Thailand they would face prosecution under the Computer Crime Act for importing false and obscene information into a computer system. Authorities would pursue the case to the fullest extent of the law, he said.
The CCIB will also coordinate with Facebook Thailand to review the platform’s online community standards and examine why the explicit content was not automatically detected and removed, despite policies requiring sexual exploitation-related material to be blocked immediately.
Pol Maj Gen Chatchaphanthakan warned that posting sexually explicit or obscene content online violates Section 14 of the Computer Crime Act, which carries penalties of up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to 100,000 baht.
He said those who "like" or "share" obscene videos could also be considered offenders under the law.
Members of the public who encounter such material are advised to report the content and notify cyber police.
Meta, which owns Facebook, on Sunday issued this statement:
“Sexually explicit content violates our Community Standards. We have removed the violating content and taken action against the accounts behind this incident. We continue to monitor and remove any remaining content that violates our policies.” – Meta spokesperson.
