BANGKOK: The Thailand Consumers Council (TCC) on Monday (June 8) filed a lawsuit against Meta, the owner of Facebook, covering both its Thailand office and headquarters. The council accused the platform of allowing scam advertisements and online fraud to spread continuously, despite discussions and repeated calls for stronger preventive measures over more than a year.
The move followed a press conference titled “Why sue Facebook?” on June 4, 2026, when the TCC said it had received 6,164 complaints about online purchases of goods and services from 2024 to March 2026.
Of these, more than 3,793 complaints involved Facebook, including cases in which consumers transferred money but did not receive products, were deceived into investment scams, encountered fake pages impersonating others, or were defrauded in various other ways, causing widespread damage.
Boonyuen Siritham, president of the Thailand Consumers Council, said victims were not limited to people lacking digital literacy. They included people from all professions, from doctors, lecturers, civil servants and businesspeople to the general public.
She said a key factor was users’ trust in a global platform, with people expecting it to have sufficient systems to inspect and screen advertisements.
TCC secretary-general Saree Ongsomwang said the lawsuit aimed to raise consumer protection standards on digital platforms and highlight eight major problems.
1. Scam adverts allowed to spread
The TCC said Facebook continues to carry large numbers of scam investment adverts, impersonations of well-known people, fake product sales, substandard goods and gambling adverts. This reflects weaknesses in the screening system or a greater focus on advertising revenue than user safety.
2. Marketplace used to sell illegal goods
Both Facebook pages and Facebook Marketplace have been used to sell copyright-infringing products, unapproved medicines and supplements, as well as some dangerous goods. The council said this shows the limits of content supervision on the platform.
3. Algorithms help scammers reach victims
Facebook’s user-behaviour analysis system is seen as helping scammers target specific groups precisely, especially people interested in investment or health. This has caused major financial losses and, in some cases, led to serious mental health problems.
4. Platform benefits from scam advertising money
The TCC noted that Facebook earns revenue from selling advertising space to scammers who use the platform to deceive the public. It said the platform should therefore share responsibility for the impact caused.
5. Ineffective identity verification
Fake accounts and pages can be created easily, allowing scammers to impersonate brands or well-known figures. When fraud occurs, victims and authorities often cannot trace the offenders.
6. Legal loopholes and avoidance of responsibility
The council said Facebook operates in a way similar to an online marketplace, while still claiming to be merely a platform provider. This allows it to avoid responsibility in many cases. There are also ongoing questions over tax collection from revenue generated in Thailand.
7. No buyer protection or compensation system
Unlike e-commerce platforms that offer payment protection, Facebook has no escrow system or preventive mechanism to limit losses. When fraud occurs, consumers are left to bear almost all the damage themselves.
8. Questions over regulatory standards
The TCC said Meta applies stricter screening and safety measures in many countries in line with regulatory requirements. However, the council said Thailand has not seen the same standards, while cooperation in solving problems remains insufficient.
The lawsuit is not aimed only at demanding accountability from the platform owner. It also seeks to push for reform of consumer protection on digital platforms, including seller identity verification, proactive advertising screening and the creation of a victim compensation mechanism that meets international standards.
The TCC has also launched a campaign encouraging victims to share their experiences, in order to reflect the real impact of online platform scams and push global platform providers to take greater responsibility for Thai consumers in the future. - The Nation/ANN
