Does Lula want social media regulation or censorship?

Censorship is a recurring word among true defenders of freedom of expression and democracy. It is necessary to talk, and a lot, about this, naming the trick of those who want to ban the debate, calling regulation what is nothing more than a general “shut up” for those who dare to think differently and express their opinions.

This is the theme of this week’s episode of the Second Opinion program. Why such insistence by the Lula government and allies on regulating social media? Why disguise the real intentions of censorship behind a trendy nickname for a bill? Who do they think they’re fooling with the PL euphemism of fake news?

We all know that lies are not what they want to prevent from circulating, because lies have a short leg and end up dying quickly, strangled by the truth, which always insists on appearing. The intentions behind the whole discussion of “regulating” social media are to be silent. Censorship is the name.

fake news and censorship

Brazil has modern legislation regulating the use of the internet. If it were to update the rules of use, including social networks not affected at the time of approval of the Marco Civil da Internet, that would be enough: an update. But the righteous rage of Lula and the radical left that surrounds and fawns over him is to remove anyone who thinks differently from the scene.

The idea of ​​regulating social media was dormant, but it regains headlines not only with Lula’s return to the presidency of the Republic. There is a worldwide outcry for censorship, so much so that Unesco promoted an event in Paris last week to discuss the regulation of social media.

There were the minister of the STF, Luís Roberto Barroso and the digital influencer Felipe Neto, among other guests. They paraded with arrogance to discuss state control over freedom of expression on the internet, stamping the name of defender of censorship on Brazil’s name.

The discussion could advance to a persecution of conservative thinking, as has already been happening in Brazil by determination of the Justice and of the social media platforms themselves, which for years have censored subjects and people without even explaining why.

Second Opinion

This episode of the show Segunda Opinião has, in addition to the regular commentators Cristina Graeml, Flávio Gordon and Paula Marisa, the journalist Janaína Xavier, as a guest commentator.

Janaína worked for many years in sports coverage on television and, more recently, freed from contractual constraints, began to issue opinions on the internet. It was enough to feel the weight of practicing and defending freedom of expression at a time when many promote, encourage or applaud censorship.

Second Opinion airs every Monday at 8 pm, here on Gazeta do Povo’s homepage and YouTube channel. To watch, click play on the image that illustrates this page. Then leave your reaction and a comment to help the debate.