A digital misstep

The government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is taking questionable steps in its stated policy of enabling a digital economy. It has set too many parts of the programme heading in the wrong direction. The first error is to claim the digital economy will occur because of government policies and direction. In fact, the already evolving digital economy has been percolating for a generation. The government's sudden and unneeded interjection of state power and force is much more likely to impede or hobble the digital economy than to push it to a higher level.

The error was compounded in last week's cabinet meeting. Ministers did not explain how they came to decide that a digital economy would only occur with top-down, invasive measures by security forces. Ministers voted without explanation to reform the Ministry of Information and Communications Technology (MICT) into what essentially will be a ministry of digital affairs. To this end, yet another government committee was formed. The Digital Economy Policy Committee was authorised to seize 50% of licence fees from the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) to finance this reform.

Gen Prayut, who has been a military commander his entire working life, is now head of yet another committee charged with "laying down the foundations and providing support for the digital economy". This also has not been explained to the public. It is arguably the most difficult development to fathom. The digital economy began more than 30 years ago when businesses, government and the public all began using computers in large numbers. The 1990s saw an explosion in the use of digital phones, the most important development in the expanding digital economy until now. This millennium has brought cutting-edge development and breakthrough devices.

The government thinks the digital economy needs a foundation. In fact, the existing digital economy far surpasses the government's own budgets and spending. Online purchases alone will approach a trillion baht this year. Banks see hundreds of billions of baht pass through their computer networks every day. The Stock Exchange of Thailand, essentially a 100% digitally driven service, saw trading of 250 billion baht last week.

The digital economy is already hundreds of times bigger than the government's financial assets. That is why it appears to so many people that the cabinet has no sympathetic concern about aiding the development of the digital economy. Instead, it appears the government is going to try to control some digital innovations while suppressing the parts it cannot — or will not — understand. That impression is shared by all those who have already spoken out against the lack of accountability in governance, the refusal to explain its actions and the outline of the eight "enabling" laws it intends to apply.

The new, improved Computer Crime Act (CCA) is a case of fooled-once for the public. The last CCA was advertised as a method to attack hackers, online thieves and con men. Instead, it has been applied almost exclusively to censor. So, too, has the MICT itself. The new CCA will punish free-speech crimes that the law refuses even to name. It literally will make it a crime to "like" any post the government later feels is a criminal offence.

In a country that banned wiretapping two decades ago, the government now will be able to look, legally, at every internet post, email, business transaction and bookkeeping spreadsheet. The business community is appalled, and should be.

These are not actions that will move the digital economy ahead. They are already twisting an excellent idea and achievable goal into a difficult and divisive situation. It's time for a second look at this plan gone wrong.