The Ministry of Digital Economy and Society says it is cooperating with over 300 agencies to eradicate fake news while looking to use artificial intelligence (AI) to verify news reports.
Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong on Thursday presided over a workshop on coordinating the verification of fake news and building networks to address the issue at the Centara Life Government Complex Hotel & Convention Centre in Bangkok.
He said his ministry established the Anti-Fake News Center (AFNC) in November 2019, with the primary goal of addressing and preventing the widespread problem, especially online crime-related misinformation.
The centre aims to quickly provide the public with accurate information before they fall victim to scammers.
Mr Prasert said the ministry is working in partnership with more than 300 agencies, including public and private agencies, civil society organisations and media outlets, to create a network for news verification.
The AFNC categorises fake news into five main groups that affect the public: government policies and national security, illegal goods or services, the economy, natural disasters, and online crime.
The public currently accesses information on fake news from the AFNC through various channels, including its website, which has had nearly 28 million views, and its Line official account, which is followed by around 2.8 million users. Its Facebook page has 120,000 followers, and it is also active on X, TikTok and Instagram.
The ministry has also partnered with the government’s Pao Tang application to send alerts to users regarding online scams and fake news since December 2022. The average number of monthly alerts last year was 23.5 million.
In addition, partnerships have been formed with 16 Thai banks and media networks to help spread awareness of fake news. As well, a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Thai Media Fund, a public agency aimed at promoting media literacy, with the aim of providing factual information to the public.
“The AFNC focuses on develop understanding and coordinating with its partners to timely disseminate accurate information to the public,” said Mr Prasert.
“In the future, we will use AI to enhance the verification of news to identify whether it’s fake, distorted, or accurate. This effort will reduce the losses suffered by the public from falling victim to scammers who use social media as a tool for deception.”