The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRC) has urged the Ministry of Education to establish clear policies prohibiting teachers and educational personnel from involving children in online content that violates their rights and to develop a concrete action plan to prevent and address such issues.
Commissioner Wasan Paileeklee said on Friday that child-related content has increasingly become a means of exploiting children, both directly and indirectly -- for example, to gain likes, shares, followers, or advertising revenue.
In doing so, children are often portrayed as commodities to draw public attention. Many such pieces of content are inappropriate, such as footage of naked children, children crying, or children being coerced into certain behaviours.
Mr Wasan referred to complaints in which teachers involved children in content creation without concealing their identities or personal information. This can lead to inappropriate or offensive comments, sexualised content, stalking, or threats, putting children at risk of online exploitation and abuse.
The NHRC recommends that relevant agencies, including the Ministry of Education, the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec), the Teachers' Council and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, work together to implement child protection policies in schools.
These should include increasing awareness of children's rights in digital environments among teachers, parents, and the public. Furthermore, the production and dissemination of child-related content should be monitored to ensure it complies with ethical standards and the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA).
Disciplinary actions should be introduced to regulate the conduct of teachers and educational professionals.
The commission also proposes that lessons on children's rights be included in teacher training curricula and that the capacity of personnel responsible for protecting children from online abuse be enhanced.
Awareness campaigns, training sessions, and public outreach should be conducted to educate students and parents on children's rights.
"Children should not be used as tools to boost likes or followers, especially in ways that violate their privacy or cause long-term harm," said Mr Wasan.
Wasan: Don't violate kids' privacy