BOTH Google and Apple were today (Nov. 13) asked by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) to investigate and remove illegal loan apps from Google Play Store and Apple App Store as some operators had harassed borrowers, PPTVHD36 said.
DSI said in a press release that reports had emerged of some users who installed these “instant loan” apps, downloaded via the Apple App Store or Google Play Store, being required to grant access to data stored on their mobile devices, including contact lists, photographs, and other personal information.
It was subsequently discovered that this personal data was used to publicly shame borrowers, while the apps’ operators made harassing debt-collection calls and caused distress to the borrowers and others.
DSI’s Bureau of Consumer Protection Cases, recognising the hardship faced by the public, emphasised that digital personal loan providers and loan applications must be licensed and regulated by the Bank of Thailand. The central bank maintains a public list of authorised entities; currently, only eight private operators are licensed to conduct this business.
Given that these illegal apps pose a significant threat to consumers, DSI provided Google Thailand and Apple South Asia (Thailand) Ltd. a list of authorised business operators so that they may verify the details with the loan apps in question. If it is determined that an app is not among the eight authorised companies, it should be removed from the system to prevent further harm.
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This and Front Page: DSI’s letter to Google and Apple and an illegal loan app. Credit – PPTVHD36
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