Networks must treat fake news with the same rigor as pedophilia, says Moraes

The Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF) and President of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) Alexandre de Moraes revealed, this Wednesday (15), more details of his offensive for a regulation of social networks in Brazil. For him, it is necessary for social networks to treat misinformation, hate speech and attacks on democracy with the same rigor with which they treat crimes such as pedophilia and racism.

Moraes’ statement took place at the opening of the II National Communication Meeting of the Electoral Justice, at the TSE headquarters, in Brasília, with the participation of communication advisors from all the Regional Electoral Courts (TREs) in Brazil.

“My priority this year is to improve the fight against misinformation to deliver a more regulated situation to the next Electoral Justice administration”, said the minister. For him, if platforms use artificial intelligence and specialized staff to prevent publications with pedophile or racist content, “the fight against misinformation must be exactly the same way”.

Moraes again said that he wants to collaborate with Congress in regulating social networks, so that, in the next elections, it will not be necessary to depend on courts to combat false news. He informed that he will meet with representatives of the platforms to establish more partnerships against fake news.

“We need to move forward with each one identifying what worked and, at the same time, where we failed, recognizing what went wrong to see where we can improve and so that the effects are smaller in each election”, he said. “We have the challenge of learning how to deal with the disinformation machine, understanding how the mechanism works and combating it more effectively.”

“Brain washing” is necessary, because on the other hand, people “are not always reasonable”, says Moraes

In some situations, according to Moraes, it is necessary to adopt an “aggressive and uncomplicated” strategy, and promote a “brainwashing” of people. “In some cases we want to disclose and communicate thinking that on the other side people are reasonable, and they are not always. It is necessary to do a ‘de-washing’ of the brain with the correct information, ”he said.

One of the examples of this, in the minister’s view, is the issue of the source code of electronic voting machines. Moraes alleges that public access to the source code was given “during a year before elections to various institutions”. “We even have a report from the Armed Forces recognizing that there was no fraud in the ballot box systems”, said the minister.

In early February, at an event by the business group Lide, in Lisbon, the magistrate informed that a TSE commission will send proposals to Congress with “mechanisms for regulating social networks”. Suggestions may be inspired by measures adopted by Moraes in command of the TSE during the elections and in his line of conduct in the fake news inquiry by the STF.