Digital minister Puttipong Punnakanta said the Thai
authorities were watching Clubhouse users, and political groups on the app were
distorting information and potentially violating laws.
A large number of Thai users joined Clubhouse in recent days
after Pavin Chachavalpongpun, a prominent Japan-based critic of the Thai
palace, joined on Friday and started discussing the monarchy.
Clubhouse, launched last year, lets users host audio chats.
It has surged in popularity in the past couple of months, especially after
Tesla CEO Elon Musk appeared on it last month.
"What needs to be spoken will be spoken. It is risky
but it must be encouraged, as the more we speak about it the more such
discussions become the norm," Pavin, who had gained more than 70,000
followers in his first five days on the app, told Reuters. "These
exercises help boost courage."
Youth protests last year focused on demands for reforms to
the royal system in Thailand, a subject long considered taboo.Since the
protests started, at least 59 people have been summoned or charged under
Thailand's "lese majeste" law against insulting or defaming the king.
AUDIENCE GROWS
The Thai government regularly uses a cyber crime law to
prosecute critics of the monarchy on national security grounds. It has
previously cracked down on such criticisms on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.
Pavin's audience grew from around 300 on Friday to over
12,000 on Tuesday night, when he discussed King Maha Vajiralongkorn in a room
that quickly reached the app's maximum capacity. Other rooms criticising the
Thai government and the use of the lese majeste law are also popular, with many
exiled critics speaking about their experiences.
The app's quick rise has drawn the attention of other
governments in the region. Earlier this month, China blocked access to the app
after a brief period when thousands of mainland users joined in discussions
often censored in China, including about Xinjiang detention camps and Hong
Kong's National Security Law.
Some Hong Kong pro-democracy activists have gained thousands
of followers on the app, although users there appear so far to have stopped
short of hosting public discussions about reviving protests that might attract
Beijing's wrath.
On Wednesday, Indonesia said Clubhouse had yet to register
with authorities and could be banned if it failed to comply with local
regulations.
Indonesia, which compels tech platforms to register, has
already banned Reddit, Vimeo, and scores of pornography sites.
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