Call to be wary of chat rooms

The Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry on Wednesday warned Thai users not to break the law on an audio-only, invite-only social media platform, Clubhouse, urging them to use the app responsibly after reports emerged of some political activists and celebrities flocking to the new platform for discussions of the country’s highly-sensitive issues.

DES Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said social media users are expected to comply with the laws and even though Clubhouse’s chat rooms are by invite-only, authorities are required to investigate if illegal content is reported.

Mr Buddhipongse’s call comes amid reports that activists have in recent days switched to the app which is a platform for audio conversations.

Concerns are growing that the app is used to air highly-sensitive issues, harmful content and disinformation.

One of them is Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a…