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Brazilian authorities are intensifying their efforts to exert control over online discourse, advancing legal and bureaucratic mechanisms that, while framed as safeguards against “disinformation” and “digital violence,” raise red flags for advocates of free expression.
The latest move comes from Brazil’s Attorney General, who has taken his case to the country’s Supreme Federal Court, calling for immediate action against digital platforms allegedly failing to curb what officials label as harmful content.
This legal maneuver demands that major tech players be held liable for content deemed “dangerous” or “deceptive.” The Attorney General’s Office claims these companies are flouting Brazilian law by not preventing the spread of manipulated ads and participating in what officials describe as a broader ecosystem of online misconduct.
Among the cited grievances are more than 300 ads on Meta’s platforms featuring doctored images of public figures like Finance Minister Fernando Haddad.
These were reportedly used to lure users into scams involving fraudulent compensation claims related to the National Social Security Institute. The misuse of the National Health Surveillance Agency’s branding in marketing unauthorized pharmaceuticals is also on the list, along with highly publicized incidents involving minors harmed by viral TikTok challenges.
Despite growing concern over the consequences of state overreach, the Attorney General’s Office insists the goal is not to censor, but to impose legal responsibility on profit-driven platforms.
Meanwhile, a parallel regulatory push is taking shape through the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI), which oversees the country’s internet infrastructure. The committee has launched an open consultation process to crowdsource ideas for governing social media platforms. The initiative, which runs until June 17, invites public input on a draft proposal consisting of ten guiding principles.
The CGI’s initial outline characterizes social networks as systems driven by algorithms that recommend, moderate, and amplify content, usually for profit. These platforms, the committee argues, have become central to shaping public opinion, facilitating commerce, and influencing civic life.
Among the proposed principles are broad concepts such as national sovereignty, protection of human rights, transparency, innovation, and the prevention of harm. Notably, the list includes “information integrity,” a term that is increasingly being used as a pretext for content control.
While the consultation is pitched as a democratic exercise, its context within a broader campaign for platform regulation reflects a concerning trend toward normalizing government involvement in what can or cannot be said online. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has echoed this urgency, calling for swift legislative action to reshape Brazil’s digital world.
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