ETDA launches "DPS Trust Every Click" Campaign for Digital Platform Standards

Chaichana Mitrpant, Director of the Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA) under the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society (DES), revealed that Thai people are increasingly familiar and comfortable with conducting online transactions via digital platforms.

This is reflected in data from the National Digital Economy and Society Commission (NDESC), which forecasts that by 2025, private sector digital consumption will grow by 7.6% compared to 2024, outpacing the overall national consumption growth, which is expected to be 3.3%.

The main factor driving this growth is consumer behaviour, with more people using digital platforms for daily activities.

This trend is also contributing to the expected value of Thailand's digital economy in 2025, which is projected to reach 4.8 trillion baht, growing by 7.3% from the previous year, and expanding at a rate 2.6 times faster than the country's overall GDP.

However, Thailand continues to face and challenges related to digital platform transactions. According to statistics from the 1212ETDA Online Fraud and Complaint Centre, there were 35,358 complaints in 2024, the majority of which were related to online scams and the use of illegal websites, such as online gambling platforms and fraudulent sites designed to steal money from users. These issues accounted for 74% of the total complaints.

To address these challenges and improve the regulation of digital platforms, ETDA, as a Co-Creation Regulator, is pushing forward the "DPS Trust Every Click" campaign. This campaign aims to raise awareness and understanding of guidelines, announcements, and manuals under the DPS Law.

These include user identity verification manuals, online advertisement regulation guidelines, product standardisation guidelines for digital platforms, and recommendations for information and communication technology standards necessary for electronic transactions regarding the collection, screening, and publication of consumer reviews on online platforms

These tools are crucial for overseeing digital platform services and creating a collaborative environment to promote the understanding and application of these guidelines. The ultimate goal is to enhance safety, transparency, and trust in digital platform services by establishing a self-regulation mechanism.

This effort involves collaboration from all sectors, including government, private sector, civil society, and digital platform service providers, to create a digital ecosystem where people can confidently "click" in every online transaction, ensuring collective participation and progress.

Under the campaign ‘DPS Trust Every Click,’ a variety of activities have been organised throughout the year to raise awareness and encourage participation with key partners from all sectors.

These activities include seminars to share knowledge and perspectives on relevant issues, workshops to gather opinions and set guidelines for regulating and preventing risks, as well as standards to enhance the safety and credibility of digital platform services.

Additionally, the campaign aims to raise consumer awareness, helping them recognize online threats, understand their legal rights, and ensure timely access to support and compensation when affected by platform services. The campaign will feature four major events.

The first event will focus on "Unite Against Illegal and Substandard Online Products," in collaboration with the Consumer Organizations Council, to open a forum for discussions and exchange of opinions from relevant parties. Together, they will set strategies to prevent and address the sale of substandard and illegal products online, creating a safer online space for everyone. This event will take place on April 30th.

The second event will center around "Ads Screening & Trust – Scan Before You Click, Prevent Before You’re Deceived," aimed at enhancing standards for verifying online ads. This will include ensuring advertisers' identity and screening content shared across platforms to reduce the risk of spreading misinformation and protecting consumers from fraudulent advertisements.

The third event will focus on improving the quality of life for platform workers, such as "Riders," to establish a common approach to safeguarding their rights, fairness, and work safety.

Finally, the last event of the year will cover the design of a joint regulatory approach (Co-regulation), ensuring practical application that aligns with the changes in the digital economy.

This will be implemented through the ‘Joint Committee’ under the DPS law, with all relevant stakeholders involved in setting these directions together.

The results of these activities will be compiled into policy recommendations to drive standards and practices for agencies and platforms, both nationally and internationally.

The involvement of all sectors in this process is crucial for developing concrete and practical guidelines that are widely accepted, as they will be co-created by all parties. Moreover, this will help establish a flexible regulatory system that can adapt to future technological changes and the evolving digital economy.