Bolsonarist deputies ask for censorship of Folha and Globo – 05/26/2023 – Power

A group of 19 PL federal deputies aligned with former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) asked Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the STF (Federal Supreme Court), to censor the Sheet and Grupo Globo companies and to include both in the fake news survey.

They presented a petition in which they request investigation of the alleged “use of illegal and immoral mechanisms, with abuse of economic power, to manipulate public opinion and impact the vote of parliamentarians in the appreciation of PL nº 2,630 [o chamado PL das Fake News]”.

Bolsonarist politicians want to prohibit the “publication of any texts, advertisements and information that influence public opinion about Bill No.

As is customary, the minister opened the file for the PGR (Attorney General’s Office) to comment on the request, within a period of 15 days.

To justify the attempt to censor the Sheetdeputies mention opinion texts published in the newspaper, signed by journalist Patrícia Campos Mello and columnist Wilson Gomes, in addition to a column by the ombudsman and an editorial.

The editorial targeted by the congressmen’s attempt at censorship, titled “PL da discord”, said that “a notable paradox accompanies the discussions on project 2.630/2020, which institutes the Brazilian Law of Freedom, Responsibility and Transparency on the Internet, nicknamed ‘ PL das Fake News’: the debate takes place late and in a hurry at the same time”.

“Late because the so-called ‘big techs’ have long been delivering significant risks and challenges to society. Threats to democracy, attacks on schools and damage to children’s mental health are recent and eloquent chapters in this story”, continues the text.

“And rushed because a complex regulation like this cannot be resolved in a rush. There are not few dilemmas on the screen. To stay in just one case, it has never been easy to limit freedom of expression without slipping into censorship —and it is not imagined that congressmen will resolve the stalemate in a tap vote.”

In the request, the deputies use as an argument a decision by Moraes himself who determined that the leaders of Google, Meta and Spotify give testimony to the Federal Police in view of the alleged practice of economic abuse due to actions against the project.

Still according to the deputies’ text, there are “strong indications of the existence of abuse of economic power” by Globo and Sheetwhich, according to the petition, “have repeatedly tried to manipulate public opinion and impact the vote of parliamentarians, by airing texts that create a scenario of terror to justify the approval of bill 2630/2020”.

Regarding Globo, in addition to citing reports from the newspaper O Globo and comments and analyzes made on GloboNews, they state that the company is “a public service concessionaire for broadcasting and mass propagation of texts and demonstrations in favor of the PL”.

The deputies Coronel Meira (PL-PE), Delegado Caveira (PL-PE), Cabo Gilberto Silva (PL-PB), Mario Frias (PL-SP), Dr. Jaziel (PL-CE), Delegate Fabio Costa (PL-AL), Coronel Chrisóstomo (PL-RO), Cabo Junio ​​(PL-MG), Delegate Éder Mauro (PL-PA), Luiz Philippe de Orleans Bragança (PL-SP ), José Antonio dos Santos Medeiros (PL-MT), Carla Zambelli (PL-SP), André Fernandes de Moura (PL-CE), Capitão Alden (PL-BA), Daniel Freitas (PL-SC), Bia Kicis ( PL-DF), Sargento Gonçalves (PL-RN), Delegado Paulo Bilynskyj (PL-SP) and Gilvan from Federal (PL-ES).

Carla Zambelli’s advisory told the Sheet that the action is not captained by her and was led by Coronel Meira. The parliamentarian’s team stated that she signed the request together with a group of deputies, but suggested contacting Meira’s office for possible demonstrations.

A Sheet he also contacted Meira and the other parliamentarians this Friday afternoon (26), directly or through their offices, but has not yet received answers.