Brazilian senators unite against decision to limit content removal from social networks
The measure that edited the country's existing Internet legislation is seen as an "attack on democracy"
Angelica Mari
By Angelica Mari for Brazil Tech | September 9, 2021 -- 21:54 GMT (14:54 PDT)
Following Jair Bolsonaro's decision to edit regulation to limit moderation powers of social networking platforms earlier this week, senators are calling for the immediate suspension of the measure.
Under the changes introduced via a provisional measure, announced on Monday (6), social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube will need to follow a series of procedures and justify their decisions before deleting content or users that are understood to be violating their terms of use.
Bolsonaro's decision to edit the legislation in place to impose tougher rules on platforms was presented as a means to ensure freedom of expression online. On the other hand, it is seen as a move to support presidential allies, who had content removed by the platforms. The measure caused uproar within the legal community, since such changes in legislation could not occur through a decree. According to experts, the measures also facilitate the propagation of fake news.
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Senator Zenaide Maia noted the president's decision is "another attack on democracy", and stressed the changes make it harder for companies to remove false or harmful content online. "[The measure] only benefits hate networks and fake news producers", she added.
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