Moraes demands compliance with Brazilian laws through social networks

During the ceremony that marked two years of coup attacks against the Three Powers, Federal Supreme Court (STF) minister Alexandre de Moraes harshly criticized large technology companies. Without mentioning names directly, Moraes made it clear that social networks must follow Brazilian laws to continue operating in the country. The statement comes after Meta, responsible for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, announced changes to its content moderation policies.

In an emphatic speech, minister Alexandre de Moraes stated that Brazil will not allow large digital platforms to operate without following the country's regulations. “Social media is not a lawless land”said Moraes, highlighting that technology companies will only be able to maintain their operations in Brazil if they respect national legislation. The minister also criticized the use of social media to foment hate speech, such as racism, fascism and misogyny, pointing out that the January 8 attacks were incited by content spread on these platforms. Moraes stated that the STF is committed to preventing the exploitation of social networks for disinformation and attacks on democracy.

Moraes' speech was a reaction to Mark Zuckerberg's recent announcement, which revealed changes to the content moderation policies of his platforms, with a focus on making checks more flexible.

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_{Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (Photo: reproduction/David Paul Morris/Getty Images Embed/Bloomberg)}

The measure has been widely criticized for allowing the rise of extremist speech, especially in the United States. In Brazil, the decision had negative repercussions. João Brant, Secretary of Digital Policies in the Lula government, accused Zuckerberg of aligning himself with figures such as Donald Trump and Elon Musk, which, according to him, could weaken protection against the spread of speech harmful to society.

Featured photo: Alexandre de Moraes, minister of the Federal Supreme Court of Brazil (Reproduction/Ton Molina/Getty Images Embed/Bloomberg)