Agency states platform’s responses are “serious concern” for the federal government.
Meta* has stated, in response to Brazil’s Federal Attorney General's Office (AGU), that the changes in its content fact-checking services announced by the company will initially be limited to the United States. However, it confirmed that changes in hate speech guidelines also apply to Brazil. Following the company’s response, the AGU reported on Tuesday (14th) that the responses from the company, which owns Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads, are a “serious concern” for the federal government.
In the document submitted on Monday evening, the company informed the AGU that, for now, it will not replace the Fact-Checking Program with Community Notes in Brazil, as announced last week by the company’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg. Thus, the change will initially be confined to the United States.
However, the alteration and adoption of the new Hate Conduct Policy in Brazil—confirmed by the tech giant—worry the Brazilian government, indicating potential disrespect for fundamental rights and national legislation.
The information provided by the company will be discussed in a public hearing next week. Government agencies and civil society organizations, along with specialists, academics, and representatives from fact-checking agencies, will participate in the meeting. This meeting was initially scheduled for Thursday (16), but it has been postponed. Among the objectives, the government aims to outline future measures.
Among the changes, the company now allows, for example, users to post content associating mental illness with sexual orientation without restrictions. Additionally, there are other permissions related to gender standards, such as content advocating gender-based limitations in military, police, and teaching jobs.
In the federal government’s view, these changes “could create a fertile ground for the violation of laws and constitutional principles that protect the fundamental rights of Brazilian citizens.”
According to the AGU, the information provided by Meta also contradicts statements made by the company in recent declarations regarding the responsibility of platforms for user content in the Supreme Federal Court (STF). The Court is reviewing the constitutionality of articles in the Civil Rights Framework for the Internet. The AGU states that, in the STF proceedings, company representatives assured that their content governance policies were sufficient to protect the fundamental rights of users.
In the document sent to the AGU, Meta stated that the changes to the Hate Conduct Policy aim to “ensure greater space for freedom of expression” to allow broader debate on current societal discussions. The company affirmed that it continues to protect race, ethnicity, nationality, disability, religion, caste, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and severe illness while maintaining the availability of reporting channels.
Meta also communicated to the Brazilian government its intent to reduce “excessiveness” in the application of protection policies and decrease errors.
“Up now, we have used automated systems to detect violations of all policies. We will focus the use of these systems on high-gravity violations, such as terrorism, child sexual exploitation, drugs, fraud, and scams. We will also continue to use our automated systems to analyze content that encourages suicide and self-harm,”
the company stated in the note delivered to the AGU.
On January 7, Meta’s owner, Mark Zuckerberg, announced the discontinuation of the third-party fact-checking program, replacing it with a Community Notes program written by users, similar to the model used by Elon Musk’s social media platform X. Following the announcement, the AGU requested an explanation of the measures’ effects in Brazil from the company.
*Meta, Facebook and Instagram are banned and designated as extremist in Russia
Source: Valor International