Thailand to curb social media after shooter streamed on Facebook

Government plans spur concerns about infringement on free speech

Police at a Bangkok military airport on Feb. 10 carry coffins containing the bodies of SWAT members killed in the mass shooting at the Terminal 21 shopping mall. Thirty people died in the Feb. 8-9 incident, including the shooter. © Reuters

YOHEI MURAMATSU and FUMI MATSUMOTO, Nikkei staff writers

February 11, 2020 04:26 JST

BANGKOK/SYDNEY -- The gunman in Thailand's mass shooting on Saturday posted messages and video on Facebook as the terror unfolded, prompting the government to discuss measures to restrict the use of social media in such emergencies.

The government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha will convene a meeting as early as this week to discuss steps including freezing suspects' accounts and limiting media reports.