EC teams up with Meta, Google, TikTok to police Election 2026
Thailand’s Election Commission partners Meta, Google and TikTok to curb online disinformation and illegal content, and steps up monitoring of “red zones” to deter vote-buying
- The Election Commission (EC) is working with three major digital platforms—Meta (Facebook), Google and TikTok—to oversee online campaigning for the 2026 election.
- The cooperation focuses on preventing and tackling disinformation and unlawful content, in a bid to strengthen election transparency.
- Political parties are being briefed on appropriate platform use, and political advertising is required to include identity verification.
- Beyond online measures, the EC says it is also tightening ground operations in high-competition “red zones” to deter vote-buying.
The Election Commission Office said it is moving to strengthen transparency for the election of MPs and a referendum scheduled for February 8, 2026. It said it has taken a proactive approach by partnering Meta Thailand (Facebook) to tighten controls on disinformation and unlawful online campaigning more effectively.
EC secretary-general Sawaeng Boonmee held a joint training session with Meta on January 19, 2026, to help political party leaders understand platform operations and guidelines for appropriate language and conduct when campaigning on Facebook.
Meta set out four key policy areas:
(1) establishing a special operations team drawing on human-rights and cyber expertise to respond to risks;
(2) strict handling of misinformation and harmful content, including violence, bullying and interference with voting;
(3) transparency for political advertising, including identity verification; and
(4) promoting civic participation by providing accurate democracy-related information and resources.
However, Sawaeng said further discussions would be needed on legal details, as some overseas platform rules may not align with Thai law in certain contexts.
Earlier cooperation with three major platforms
Before working with Meta, the EC had continued coordination with other popular platforms:
TikTok Thailand
On January 14, 2026, the EC announced cooperation with TikTok to use it as a channel for election and referendum information, aiming to reach all groups in accessible formats. It also arranged online training for political parties via Zoom on creative and appropriate platform use.
Google (Thailand)
On January 16, 2026, the EC met Google representatives to support dissemination of accurate election procedures across Google platforms, with the stated aim of ensuring the vote is conducted fairly and lawfully.
Monitoring high-risk areas and deterring vote-buying
In addition to online oversight, the EC said it has divided field monitoring into three levels. It said “red zones”, where competition is particularly intense, will be watched closely, including the compilation of lists of local vote canvassers and the deployment of intelligence units working with police to deter wrongdoing quickly.
The EC said cooperation with technology partners is an important step in curbing distorted content and protecting the public’s right to accurate information, so the 2026 election meets society’s expectations for transparency.
Information: Ajchara Sornhun/Phiphat Imkhunthong
