Lula’s letter will be read at a UNESCO conference that will discuss the regulation of social networking platforms around the world.| Photo: Valter Campanato/Agência Brasil

Amid internal discussions of proposing a project to regulate social networks, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said this Tuesday (21) that social networking platforms must guarantee the “strengthening of democracy” instead of weakening it. them.

The speech is in a letter that will be read at the opening of a conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) this Wednesday (22), in Paris.

The “Internet for Trust” seminar aims to promote a “global dialogue to guide worldwide regulation” of digital platforms to “improve the reliability of information and protect freedom of expression and human rights”, says the official website.

According to Lula, it is necessary to make a “global effort so that digital platforms guarantee the strengthening of human rights, democracy and the rule of law”. “I wish a great debate for all participants of the Conference, in the expectation that it will point out global strategies to face the spread of lies and hate messages”, he completed in a statement. message on the social networks.

Among the Brazilian participants in the conference are Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF); the digital influencer Felipe Neto; journalist Patrícia Campos Melo; and engineer Demi Getschko, CEO of Ponto BR’s Information and Coordination Center.

Last week, the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, defended the regulation of social networks and said that “there is an understanding that absolute freedom of expression does not exist. It’s not me who says that, it’s the Penal Code”.