Tech giants’ opposition to Fake News Law in Brazil draws criticism and investigation
Tech firms opposing the proposed Fake News Law in Brazil have been criticised by the government and judiciary for undue interference in the congressional debate.
The Brazilian government and judiciary have criticised big tech companies for campaigning against a proposed internet regulation bill known as the Fake News Law. Bill 2630 would require internet firms, search engines, and social messaging services to find and report illegal content, with heavy fines for non-compliance.
Google and other tech companies have campaigned against the bill, prompting the Justice Minister to order Google to remove a link added to its search engine in Brazil that connected to an anti-bill blog. The company complied with the order but defended its right to publicly communicate its concerns.
The bill’s vote has been postponed to allow for more debate after facing opposition from conservative and Evangelical lawmakers. The bill’s critics argue it could allow censorship and reward those who post disinformation.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s antitrust regulator, CADE, will investigate Google and Meta’s campaigns against the bill, and the Supreme Court has summoned the CEOs of Google, Meta, and Spotify to testify about their actions regarding the proposed legislation.
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