Bangkok: "Prasit" has lodged a formal complaint concerning potential breaches of the Public-Private Partnership Act, focusing on the alleged leakage of election ballot barcode data.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Prasit Patmapadungsak, a prospective Member of Parliament from Pathum Thani, has called on the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT) to probe whether barcodes on election ballots contravene the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Mr. Prasit asserts that the PDPA enforces criminal penalties, such as imprisonment, and argues that the barcodes' presence on ballots infringes upon this legislation. His complaint emphasizes accountability from data collection to dissemination stages.

Mr. Prasit highlighted the necessity of disclosing personal information beforehand, a step he claims was overlooked. He stressed that under Section 26, collecting political opinions is a criminal offense, with penalties reaching up to six months of imprisonment or a 500,000 baht fine.

He further demanded administrative and criminal penalties for the ECT, arguing that while the commission might claim data collection falls within its electoral management duties, the law stipulates that only Parliament-appointed organizations may collect data for judicial purposes. As such, the ECT's justification for barcode usage during administrative processes, such as vote counting, is invalid.

Mr. Prasit refuted claims that barcodes enhance security, suggesting alternative methods to secure elections without infringing on citizens' data rights. He emphasized that his complaint does not serve personal interests but addresses widespread voter data concerns, highlighting potential violations of personal rights and censorship of political opinions.

He has filed a petition with the Administrative Court, expressing fears that political parties could exploit this data to gain electoral advantages, potentially influencing election outcomes through targeted strategies.