COVID-19 Infodemic and Social Media Platforms in Thailand

Abstract

This study aims to fill a knowledge void on disinformation in a non-western context by examining the infodemic phenomenon in Thailand covering an extensive period from 31 December 2019 to 31 July 2021. The research examines how disinformation about COVID-19 spreads on Facebook and Twitter in Thailand, as well as the effectiveness of counter-disinformation approaches, and policy gaps in addressing the infodemic. Data collection relies on these methodologies—content analysis, sentiment analysis, social network analysis, in-depth interviews, and document analysis.

Content analysis of sampled data shows that herbal medicine claims, and politicized COVID-19 information, especially about censorship, are prevalent. Contextual factors evidently shape the nature and spread of disinformation. Meanwhile, social network analysis in the two selected social media platforms indicates the presence of echo chamber phenomenon. This in effect has impeded counter-narratives from reaching users under the disinformation clouts. In addition, the study also identifies several policy gaps: absence of policy frameworks for multi-stakeholder collaboration in curbing disinformation, lack of liability or accountability regime for social media platforms regarding disinformation, potential misuse of existing laws to silence political dissidents, and maintaining balance between freedom of information (access) and freedom of speech in the regulation of disinformation.

The lessons learned from this study could contribute to policymaking concerning public communication during the pandemic and the promotion of media and information literacy regarding infodemic in Thai society. A contextualized and nuanced understanding of the problem from triangulated analysis could lead to the development of appropriate and effective policy measures as well as multi-sectoral approaches in tackling future infodemic.