Bolsonaro’s failed attempt to stop platforms removing disinformation is still something to fear
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BRAZIL’S PLATFORM WAR
Last week, President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil signed a sweeping order prohibiting social media companies from removing content, unless they have a court order to do so.
The decision, which came on the eve of a series of pro-Bolsonaro rallies, was unprecedented — apparently the first time a leader anywhere has tried to stop platforms from taking down material that violates their policies. On its official Twitter account, the Brazilian government declared that it was “taking the global lead in defending free speech on social networks.”
The decision threatened to unleash a flood of disinformation. Brazil’s online spaces are rife with fake news and coronavirus conspiracy theories — a 2020 study found the country was behind only the United States and India when it came to the circulation of false claims — and platforms have been taking steps to remove and flag Covid-19 disinformation since the early days of the pandemic.