The head of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (MoDES), Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn, has warned people should not post clips of others on social media, regardless of their intention, as it may violate the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).
Mr Chaiwut said yesterday, that regarding possible criminal acts, it is legal for people to photograph or film such acts as the documentation might serve as evidence. However, posting the material online will violate the law.
Chaiwut: Can film only
"People can send pictures or videos to the police, but they are not allowed to publish them online. People who appear in the content can file legal charges against the camera user," said Mr Chaiwut.
A video that went viral on June 9 depicts a man assaulting his girlfriend in front of their apartment. A well-intentioned woman filmed the incident and reported it to the police. However, the man in the video threatened to file charges against the woman who recorded the scene. His girlfriend also demanded that the woman delete the video as she feared her parents might become aware of the incident.
Police officers said on June 10 that the couple had been drunk after returning from a pub. They also said the couple were known to have frequent arguments.
The couple later appeared on the Hone Krasae TV programme, saying the incident might have been worse if bystanders had not intervened that night. However, they did not wish to be filmed and wanted the video to be deleted from social media.
Staff contacted Paiboon Amonpinyokeat at the National Cyber Security Centre, who said the PDPA protects the man in the video as the publication of such content without his permission is prohibited.
"Filming wrongdoing is allowed, but the images cannot be posted online. That is illegal," said Mr Paiboon.