Idec expresses concern about theannounced changes today by Mark Zuckerbergin Facebook content moderation, Instagram and Threads. The replacement of fact-checkers with "community notes" and the reduction of moderation filters may increase the spread of misinformation, hate speech and harmful content on platforms
These changes affront legitimate regulatory initiatives and directly impact users' daily lives, exposing them to fraud, abuses and misleading information that can harm everyday actions, como compras online e busca de informações sobre saúde. Além de também ser potencialmente perigosa em períodos eleitorais, the weakening of moderation rules reduces platform security, especially for more vulnerable groups, como idosos, black people, children and adolescents
Idec warns that the changes announced by Meta demonstrate the structural problem of power concentration in the hands of corporations acting as arbiters of the digital public space and privileging corporate interests at the expense of user safety and rights. Such abusive change reinforces the need for a more robust regulation that holds platforms accountable for damages caused by their business models and prioritizes consumer protection in the digital environment. It is essential that users are vigilant and that governments and organizations act to ensure a safer and more reliable online space
