The Consumer Organizations Council explains eight reasons why it is necessary to proceed with a lawsuit against Facebook and online platforms that repeatedly allow criminals to defraud the public.
At 10:00 a.m. on 4 June 2026, at the Consumer Organizations Council office, Ms. Boonyeun Siritham, Chairperson of the Consumer Organizations Council, together with Ms. Saree Ongsomwang, Secretary-General of the Council's office, held a press conference outlining eight reasons to prepare for filing a lawsuit against Facebook and other platforms that allow criminals to deceive consumers. They stated that the number of victims being scammed on these platforms is increasing daily, resulting in police stations having to handle at least 1,016 cases per day, which is an excessive burden.
Previously, the Consumer Organizations Council sent a letter directly to Meta on 19 November 2024, requesting policies to prohibit direct product sales through pages and to require seller registration to help compensate victims. They also urged Meta to formally register as a legal entity and an official data controller. However, Meta did not respond positively; a Meta representative explained that Facebook only operates advertising business and does not engage in e-commerce.
Ms. Saree added that the Consumer Organizations Council wants Facebook to officially register as an e-commerce business because, although the company has tools such as blocking features, it still cannot block pages run by scammers. Another important reason is:
1. Users' feeds lack safety standards and are full of scammers and online gambling.
2. They are rife with illegal sales, including unapproved drugs and supplements as well as dangerous electronic devices lacking certification.
3. The algorithm tracks user behavior and repeatedly feeds deceptive ads, causing victims to lose everything; some suffer depression, and some even take their own lives.
4. Facebook receives advertising revenue from these scammers without proper scrutiny, effectively benefiting from defrauding the public.
5. The platform allows account forgery and impersonation of individuals or famous brands without identity verification, making it impossible to identify perpetrators.
6. Facebook evades Thai law by claiming to be merely an intermediary and refuses responsibility for damages, despite facilitating full-scale sales and transferring revenue abroad, which causes loss of tax income for Thailand.
7. There is no system to protect or compensate buyers; no escrow service is provided, so when fraud occurs, criminals can close accounts and escape without accountability.
8. Facebook discriminates against Thai law by strictly complying with regulations in the US, Europe, and Australia, while neglecting the safety of Thai people and ASEAN countries.
Ms. Saree concluded that at minimum, advertisers should be required to verify their identities, so cooperation is necessary to ensure social media safety for everyone. "I want to emphasize that we are not demanding much; these are basic responsibilities that platforms should already fulfill," she said. Ms. Saree stated that the council expects to win this lawsuit and plans to officially file against Facebook and related platforms on 8 June 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the Civil Court on Ratchadaphisek Road, Bangkok. She stressed that preventive measures should not wait for a lawsuit victory; platforms like Facebook can implement protections immediately.
Similarly, Ms. Boonyeun added that this lawsuit is actually overdue, as scams on these platforms occur daily. It is essential for everyone to cooperate to ensure fairness for consumers and to prevent platforms from allowing scammers to deceive the public for over a decade.
