Meta says Fake News PL creates system of anti-democratic regimes

The company Meta, responsible for the social networks Facebook and Instagram and the WhatsApp messaging application, took a position on the urgent vote on the Fake News PL. In a public demonstration, anticipated by CNN Brasil this Saturday (29), Meta assesses that the text creates a “permanent surveillance system, similar to that of countries with anti-democratic regimes”.

The company’s manifestation came after the disclosure of the new text of the proposal that was presented by the rapporteur Orlando Silva (PCdoB), on Thursday (26). The project is expected to be voted on next Tuesday (2) in the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies.

According to big tech, the proposal reported by deputy Orlando Silva (PCdoB-SP), brings conflicts with legislation related to the internet, such as the Civil Rights Framework for the Internet and the General Data Protection Law (LGPD), in addition to eventually generate problems in digital advertising and copyright rules, as proposed by the legislature.

For Meta, “the current text has more than 20 completely new articles that have never been widely debated, and contains devices that harm the majority of Brazilians with the purpose of serving a few economic interests”.

“In its current form, the legislation would make it difficult for technology companies like ours to continue to offer the type of free services used by millions of people and businesses in Brazil”, complements big tech.

Meta also criticized the “false premise that digital platforms profit from violent and hateful content” as a basis for internet regulation in Brazil. “We explicitly refute this argument. People use Meta’s apps because they have positive experiences: they don’t want to see violence or hate, and our advertisers don’t want their brands associated with this type of content. We have no incentive to do anything other than combat these contents”, he reinforces.

Despite criticism of the project, Meta says it has supported regulations that create “clear and fair rules for all”. “We want a safer and better Internet, and we are open to consistent legislation, because we believe that private companies should not alone make so many decisions about online content,” he writes.

Problematic provisions of the proposal

Among the most problematic provisions of the proposal, Meta cited the “Copyright and remuneration of news outlets”. According to big tech, this device recently added to the proposal, “has nothing to do with combating misinformation or harmful content”.

The text, according to Meta, does not bring a “clear exception to copyright for user-generated content, which means that potentially any photo taken by a person and shared with friends and family could fall within the scope of government regulation”.

Another critical point pointed out by Meta is the fact that the proposal does not define what “journalistic content” is. “This could lead to an increase in misinformation, not the other way around. Imagine, for example, a world where malicious people pose as journalists to publish false information on our platforms and we are forced to pay for it, ”she explains.

Meta showed concern with the “duty of care”, which establishes that “digital platforms will be responsible for deciding on the illegality of content published in their applications, transferring to the private sector a power that belongs to the Judiciary”. , it will be up to big tech to inform law enforcement authorities if they suspect a crime that has occurred or may occur in the future.

“In practice, this proactive monitoring transforms the platforms into an ‘Internet police’, creating a permanent surveillance system similar to that which exists in countries with anti-democratic regimes,” he said.

Finally, Meta criticized points related to digital advertising that bureaucratize and make online advertisements more restrictive.

“If approved as it is, the PL could give rise to an industry focused on compensation, rather than the prevention and removal of harmful content, potentially overloading the judicial system given the large volume of ads served on digital platforms in Brazil”, concludes Meta .