A recent case of lèse-majesté in Thailand (speaking ill of the monarchy) is a worrying example of how Western companies do not just work with governments that fall short of international human rights standards, but can actually facilitate abuses of human rights.

Our investigation on the trial of Katha Pachachirayapong – accused of spreading rumours on the ill-health of the King Bhumibol Adulyadej, thereby causing sharp falls in the Thai stock market - reveal the obscure practices used by the secret services to investigate people suspected of criminal activity under Thai law...

The case reveals two worrying aspects of criminal investigations in Thailand. First, the Thai Government's prosecution of Katha Pachachirayapong was premised on a flawed understanding of Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, identifiers assigned to devices that connect to the internet. Second, an investigation by Privacy International into the trial has revealed the problematic role played by Microsoft in this case, which provided key documentation for the appeal of this case in March 2014...