BANGKOK - Thailand's military-appointed parliament on Thursday passed a controversial cybersecurity law that gives sweeping powers to state cyber agencies, despite concerns from businesses and activists over judicial oversight and potential abuse of power.
The military government has pushed for several laws it said would support the country's digital economy, including an amendment to the Computer Crime Act in 2017, which has been used to crack down on dissent. "Despite some wording improvements, the contentious issues are all still there," Arthit Suriyawongkul, an advocate with the Thai Netizen Network, told Reuters.
Court warrants are not required for those actions in"emergency cases," and criminal penalties will be imposed for those who do not comply with orders. Legislators also unanimously passed the Personal Data Protection Act, intended to imitate the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation .