Loopholes in control of online alcohol marketing in Thailand: Analysis of alcohol-related internet content for Thai audience extracted by artificial intelligence
Abstract
Introduction: Thailand’s alcohol control laws include an extensive ban on alcohol marketing. However, loopholes exist in online marketing, yet online marketing of alcohol targeting audiences in Thailand has not yet been systematically described. The objective of this study was to describe online alcohol marketing activities in the Thai language.
Methods: We used an artificial intelligence (AI) platform to collect alcohol marketing content on the internet. We prepared a database of search terms related to alcohol marketing. The platform automatically searched and filtered alcohol marketing content that violated control and regulatory measures. We analyzed data using descriptive statistics.
Results: Our analyses included data from 13,301 posts generated by 4,638 users. The most common violation of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Act of 2008 was the use of alcohol brand trademarks or symbols (70%). The most common content producers were restaurants, pubs, and bars, followed by wholesale/retail stores and influencers. Content materials focused on driving awareness and drinking methods. Content materials did not mention the location of sales, shipping methods, discounts, free products, or giveaways.
Discussion: We found violations of regulations for alcohol control measures in Thailand among online media posts in the Thai language. Potential selection bias from search engine algorithms and the limited generalizability should be considered as caveats in the interpretation of the study findings.
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