Bolsonaro: The New Bill Will Restrict Tech Companies’ Ability To Censor Information.

Key Sentence:

• Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has signed a decree limiting the power of social media companies to delete accounts and content.
• Bolsonaro said rule changes were needed to combat the “arbitrary deletion” of accounts.

He said the new law would help protect freedom of expression. During the coronavirus pandemic, Twitter and Facebook removed many posts from the president, and his supporters. That they believed were misleading. The new decision aims to clarify the power of social media companies to monitor content on their platforms, the president’s office said.

The decree’s details passed so far only state that the tech giant must provide “just reasons and motivation” before deleting accounts or content.

However, it is not clear how the work was carried out.

The announcement came on the eve of a massive demonstration expected for Bolsonaro in Brazil. The president’s supporters will protest against the country’s Congress and Supreme Court. Which last month added Bolsonaro’s name to a list of people under investigation for alleged misinformation.

Critics say the march, which coincided with the country’s Independence Day celebrations, poses a threat to democracy. Bolsonaro and his allies have deleted social media posts numerous times since the pandemic began. In July, YouTube removed about 15 videos from Mr. Bolsonaro for spreading misinformation about Covid-19.

Some of the publications removed included videos promoting hydroxychloroquine, the anti-malarial drug. The anti-parasitic drug ivermectin to treat the coronavirus – none of which be effective against the virus.

Last year, Facebook complied with an order from Brazil’s Supreme Court to freeze the accounts of dozens of Bolsonaros’ most prominent allies, accused of spreading misinformation against federal judges. Since then, Bolsonaro has encouraged his supporters to connect with him on alternative platforms like Telegram and Parler.