Representatives of the importers of two Chinese-made smartphones, ‘Oppo’ and ‘Realme’, are scheduled to explain the pre-installation of a loan application in the operating system of their smartphones to the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) today.
The presence of the loan app has raised widespread concerns that it could be used to access the personal information of the phones’ users without their consent or knowledge.
Pol Gen Nathathorn Prousoontorn, an NBTC commissioner, said today that they have also invited representatives of the National Cyber Security Committee and the Personal Data Protection Committee (PDPC) to join the session, to hear the explanations offered by the smartphone companies and to ask questions.
Waethang Puangsap, secretary-general of the PDPC, said that he would like to know whether it is necessary for the two smartphone importers to have access to personal data of users and how efficient they are in protecting the confidential information of the phone users.
He said that, if it is discovered that there is something nefarious about the app, the PDPC may serve a warning on the importers or take legal action.
The Oppo and Realme importers have separately issued statements advising phone users to contact their service centres to remove the offending app from their phones if they so wish.
The Thailand Consumers Council has urged the NBTC, the Consumers Protection Board, the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society and the Bank of Thailand to determine whether the two companies have broken any law by allegedly abetting cybercrime.
