Bangkok: The Consumer Protection Board (CPB) has summoned representatives from the smartphone distributor 'OPPO-Realme' for an intensive inquiry. The representatives have claimed they are merely importers and have been evasive during questioning. Meanwhile, the Cyber Police have suggested that their actions might violate the Computer Crime Act.
According to Thai News Agency, Mr. Anupong Charoenwet, Director of the Complaint Department at the Consumer Protection Division, revealed that although representatives from OPPO and Realme cooperated with officials, they have avoided providing comprehensive information. The authorities are exerting pressure to extract more details, which will be discussed in a meeting with Ms. Jiraporn Sindhuphrai, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister's Office, at Government House tomorrow afternoon.
Currently, there is no concrete data regarding the damage and user information associated with the Fineasy and Happiness Loan apps. An Over-The-Air update is scheduled for January 16 to allow users to uninstall the Fineasy app, while the Happiness Loan app can be removed immediately. Thus far, 9-10 complaints have been lodged with the CPB, with no reported financial damage from the app usage, but concerns remain about potential personal data breaches.
If app users were charged excessive interest or experienced unlawful debt collection practices, criminal action might be pursued against those responsible. The CPB plans to involve the Consumer Protection Police Division in their upcoming meeting. Despite claims from the distributors that the apps were pre-installed by a licensed factory in China and that they are powerless to intervene, the Consumer Protection Police Division remains skeptical.
Pol. Lt. Gen. Trairong Phiwpaen, Commander of the Technology Crime Suppression Division, stated that the Cyber Police discovered the apps integrated with ColorOS, a customized operating system based on Android. The current version, Android 15, has been found to include the FinEasy and Happiness Loan apps pre-installed, unbeknownst to buyers. Such actions are deemed offenses under the Computer Crime Act, Section 13, which prohibits selling or distributing specially created commands for committing offenses, punishable by up to one year of imprisonment, a fine not exceeding 20,000 baht, or both.