The announcement by Meta, made this Tuesday (7) by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, left users, experts, and even governments on high alert. This issue is so urgent that this morning, the President of the Republic Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva met with government ministers to discuss the company’s new guidelines. Now, the fact-checking system (fact-checking) on the social media platforms Instagram, Facebook, and Threads will be officially discontinued in the United States; and, in the long term, the measure is also expected to be applied in other countries.
According to Meta’s CEO, the goal is to reduce errors made by the system, which accidentally removed some profiles and posts, and to uphold users’ freedom of expression. In practice, fact-checking will not be completely eliminated, but the ‘community notes’ model will be adopted, similar to the one used by X, where users themselves add observations to posts. For the federal government, this new policy is concerning because it clashes with national sovereignty; Lula even stated that digital communication should have the same responsibility as other media, such as the press.
One of the biggest legal and ethical challenges related to the changes in Meta’s policy is the potential freedom to discuss discriminatory topics, such as gender and race, which can constitute crimes in the country. In addition to today’s meeting, the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office (MPF) has also demanded explanations from the company, which also owns WhatsApp, to assess the impact of these changes in Brazil. For Silva Lopes Advogados CEO and expert in corporate law, Layon Lopes, the issue is complex and could have legal and economic consequences not only for Brazil but on a global scale.
– When a major tech company changes its policies, the effects usually extend beyond national borders. In Brazil, the challenge lies in reconciling freedom of expression with respect for local laws, which seek to protect fundamental rights, such as dignity and non-discrimination. This situation requires careful attention and collaboration between governments, companies, and society, comments Lopes.
Additionally, the minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Alexandre de Moraes, also commented on the changes and stated that social media platforms may continue to operate as long as they respect the laws in force in Brazilian territory. It’s worth remembering that the beginning of the second half of 2024 was marked by the clash between the STF and platform X, which culminated in the social network being blocked after failing to comply with Brazilian legislation.
