The Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) officially launched the PDPA Center yesterday as a one-stop service to receive complaints and offer advice regarding personal data protection in its efforts to deal with data leakage and online fraud.
Meanwhile, the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry is aiming to amend the conditions pertaining to punishments concerning the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) in an effort to more strictly govern illegal access to and dissemination of personal data.
According to DES Minister Prasert Jantararuangthong, the PDPA has been in full effect since June 1, 2022.
He added that the government places great importance on personal data protection.
The ministry has set guidelines and measures to raise the level of personal data protection by assigning the PDPC to take proactive steps and established the PDPC Eagle Eye Personal Data Violation Surveillance Center (PDPC Eagle Eye) to monitor, inspect and supervise various agencies.
The public and private sectors have strictly complied with the PDPA and prevented agencies from inappropriately disseminating the personal information of citizens on public channels.
If any agencies are found to be committing continuous wrongdoing and there are serious consequences, they must face a punishment with a strict fine in accordance with the PDPA.
Over the past two months more than 5,000 cases of personal data leaks were intercepted and investigations have led to the arrest of five people accused of trading personal data.
Mr Prasert said the PDPA complaint centre is another step in handling potential personal data leaks.
The centre's one-stop unit comprises seven services, including an advisory and answering service centre regarding PDPA laws, a service centre for receiving complaints about non-compliance with the PDPA and the PDPC Eagle Eye.
They also include a Knowledge and Academic Service Center on personal data protection, a coordination centre for Personal Data Protection Officers (DPOs) and the provision of advice on principles for regulating personal data protection, a centre for driving cooperation in personal data protection, and a centre for promoting the use of personal data protection standards.
This will bring full benefits to the people in line with their personal data rights, Mr Prasert said.
The PDPA Center is open from 8.30am to 6pm daily, except public holidays.
The centre is located on the 1st floor of the NT2 Service Center Building on Chaeng Watthana Road.
Mr Prasert said the ministry assigned the PDPC to strictly prevent and suppress the illegal trading of people's personal information.
The PDPC has cooperated with the Police Investigation Bureau to investigate technological crimes.
"I will also propose amending the PDPA to increase the penalties for those who illegally trade personal information to have even more severe criminal penalties," Mr Prasert said.
"It should not be compromised in order to increase the effectiveness in preventing the illegal trading of people's personal information to criminal groups. I will push for the matter of amending the law to be urgently brought before the House of Representatives," he added.