Meta responds to Moraes and says there is no video of Bolsonaro after January 8

Meta, the controller of Facebook and Instagram, responded to Minister Alexandre de Moraes, of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), after he determined a deadline of 48 hours for the video shared by former president Jair Bolsonaro (PL) to be sent after the acts of January 8th.

According to the platform, it is “materially impossible” to provide the STF with the video published on the night of January 10th on the former president’s social networks. “Compliance with the obligation is materially impossible, since the video subject to the order was deleted and is no longer available on the company’s servers,” said Meta, in a letter sent to the minister this Thursday (7).

The video posted by the former president showed a state prosecutor saying that President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) was not elected by the Brazilian people, but “chosen by the electoral service, the ministers of the STF and the ministers of the Superior Electoral Court” .

The former president deleted the post shortly after publication. Moraes set a daily fine of R$100,000 if Meta does not comply with the decision. The minister highlighted that the post was requested from Facebook “on 01/13/2023 and again on 08/07/2023, without the video having been added to the file to date”.

In the letter, Meta pointed out that “although the determination to preserve the media was given in January, days after the acts and republication made by Bolsonaro, it was not notified by the minister’s office at the time of the decision.”

“It should be noted that Meta Platforms never received the letter in reference and was unaware of the court order determining the preservation of the video,” he stated, in a letter signed by lawyers from the Davi Tangerino law firm.

According to Meta, company representatives met with deputy attorney Carlos Frederico Santos to explain the situation. He coordinates the group from the Attorney General’s Office (PGR) in charge of investigations into January 8th. Last Monday, the PGR reiterated to the Supreme Court its request for Meta to present the video published by the former president, which motivated Moraes’ determination.