Brazil leads dialogues on information integrity and platform regulation

Brazil is a member of a group that is leading a global initiative to promote information integrity and to face misinformation and hate speech around the world. This week, the country pushed forward this debate and brought together global specialists, authorities, and leaders in São Paulo to build common understandings and propose alternatives for media education, regulation of the digital services market and protection of elections and public institutions.

The “Information Integrity and Trust in the Digital Environment” side event happened on April 30 and May 1st in São Paulo, promoted by the G20 Digital Economy Working Group. Brazil holds the G20 presidency in 2024. This side event highlighted multilateral discussions that are currently taking place at the UN, UNESCO, and OECD.

“We believe that misinformation and hate speech hamper the full enjoyment of individual and collective rights. Countering misinformation and hate speech protects freedom of expression by promoting access to information for all and protecting the rights of marginalized groups to free expression,” declared Paulo Pimenta, Minister of the Presidency’s Communications Secretariat.

According to Minister Pimenta, the G20 is a privileged space to address this issue. The Minister declared that the United Nations and UNESCO are already “crafting the proposal” — which will gather international research groups such as the Global Knowledge Network, the International Observatory on Information and Democracy and the International Panel on Informational Environment, in addition to other UN agencies engaged in facing climate change.

REGULATION — Pimenta underscored that Brazil continues to advocate globally for the democratic regulation of platforms. The head of Government Communication emphasized that major companies in this sector must shoulder greater responsibility to ensure that the digital environment is protected from the dissemination of illegal content.

"Regulation must be balanced to promote and ensure freedom of expression while safeguarding all the fundamental rights of citizens. We believe that the European Union and the United Kingdom serve as benchmarks [in this area], with recent legislation moving in this direction, and that should inspire global discussions," declared Pimenta.

Minister Silvio Almeida (Human Rights and Citizenship) echoed the sentiments expressed by Minister Pimenta, stressing the urgency of regulation. "There is no freedom without responsibility," he summarized, underscoring the need for institutional mediation to ensure sovereignty and democracy. The minister also said that hatred and violence are not new but take on different meanings over time.

Almeida described the current era of misinformation and polarization as "alarming," specifically highlighting the actions of social media companies. He cautioned that the lack of regulation fuels chaos and disorder, providing fertile ground for extremists and criminals.

"If we don’t act now to discuss and implement serious measures against misinformation, we will be relinquishing the future to those we oppose. We must underscore the need for accountability to avert a bleak tomorrow. History is in our hands and we cannot afford to remain passive," the minister argued.

BILATERAL MEETINGS — Minister Pimenta seized the opportunity presented by the G20 parallel event to engage in bilateral meetings focused on best practices for social media sponsored content, initiatives to combat online misinformation and strategies for digital platform regulation. At each juncture, he underscored President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's unwavering commitment to strong international partnerships. He cited the challenges Brazil faces in tackling misinformation, such as false information against vaccines having reduced national vaccination coverage.

The Minister convened with business leaders to discuss a possible joint agenda to promote information integrity in digital advertising. He expressed a desire to engage these entities in fostering best practices for the public and private sectors, and to pursue an agenda focused on efficiency. He urged platforms to be proactive in combating fraudulent and deceptive online advertisement, particularly those leveraged against Federal Government policies, to capture citizens' attention.