Brazil has given social media giant Meta a 72-hour ultimatum to explain its fact-checking policies and outline how it plans to protect user rights on its platforms in the country.
Attorney General Jorge Messias announced that his office may pursue legal action if Meta fails to respond to the government's extrajudicial notice by the deadline. The demand comes after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's recent announcement about ending fact-checking on Facebook and Instagram in the United States.
The Brazilian government expressed deep concerns about Meta's new policies, particularly regarding looser restrictions on content about gender and sexual identity. According to officials, the updated guidelines would permit users to associate sexual identity with mental illness and allow gender-based workplace discrimination.
"We will not allow these networks to transform the environment into a digital massacre or barbarity," Messias stated, referencing Brazil's strict protections for vulnerable populations.
The government's notice requests detailed information about:
- How social media algorithms will protect fundamental rights
- Measures to prevent hate speech, discrimination, and violence
- Procedures for handling user complaints
- Management of the new community notes system
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva discussed these changes with French President Emmanuel Macron, with both leaders agreeing that freedom of expression should not enable the spread of misinformation.
This action follows a separate 30-day notice from Brazil's public prosecutor's office asking Meta to clarify whether it plans to implement the fact-checking changes within Brazil. The country has previously taken strong regulatory action against social media platforms, including temporarily blocking X (formerly Twitter) for failing to comply with court orders related to online misinformation.
"All companies operating in the country must respect Brazilian legislation and jurisdiction," President Lula emphasized in a social media post following a government meeting on the matter.