Held in Paris, the forum of the Unesco has several special participations to take actions focused on ending the spread of false news. One of the guests is President Lula, who, alongside influencer Felipe Neto and the Minister of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), Luís Roberto Barroso, delivered a letter citing that the regulation of social networks needs to be defined as a matter of urgency and that these digital companies need to act faster so that fake news is not seen by more and more people. 3z1x5
He also cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the attack on Praça dos Três Poderes as examples of events that could have been avoided if the regulation of social networks had already been done more broadly. Check out excerpts from the letter sent.
Lula approves that regulation of social networks be done as soon as possible 3he2g
During his visit to the Forum of Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Paris, President Lula made it clear that social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and more need to act so that inappropriate content is not posted without a filter.
In an open letter, he mentions that it is time for these companies to stop paying little attention to serious cases that can cause the death of many people.
It is true that the regulation of social networks involves a series of processes, but it is important to that the more time that es, the more people can believe in false content and start ing it on to their list. And so it goes. The President was clear in saying that the circle of “some companies” in the digital environment has already claimed many victims, both in the COVID-19 pandemic and during the election period.
Hate speech claims victims every day. Furthermore, the most victimized are the most vulnerable sectors of our societies.
Lula in a letter delivered at the UNESCO Forum
The guests of the global conference internet for trust they also had to hear, in a letter read by the secretary of Digital Policies at Secom (Secretary of Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic), João Brant, that many deaths could have been avoided if the regulation of social networks had already been done.
We cannot allow the integrity of our democracies to be affected by the decisions of a few actors who control digital platforms.
Lula in a letter delivered at the UNESCO Forum
The problems of Praça dos Três Poderes and COVID-19 7203x
To exemplify what actions need to be taken as a matter of urgency, the current president of Brazil recalled the event of January 08, 2023, when, through organizations on the internet and also in the face-to-face world, far-right protesters vandalized public buildings wherein Squid and other ministers worked.
What happened that day was the culmination of a campaign that had begun much earlier and that used lies and misinformation as ammunition. This campaign targeted democracy and the credibility of Brazilian institutions. In large part, this campaign was fueled, organized and disseminated through various digital platforms and messaging apps. She used the same method used to create acts of violence in other parts of the world. This must stop.
Lula in a letter delivered at the UNESCO Forum
The president mentioned that it is time for social networks to have “effective answers” to the problems that arise.
We need balance. On the one hand, it is necessary to guarantee the exercise of individual freedom of expression, a fundamental human right. On the other hand, we need to guarantee a collective right: society's right to have access to reliable information, not lies and misinformation.
Lula in a letter delivered at the UNESCO Forum
The current president of Brazil believes that it is necessary for social networks to have effective tools to combat disinformation and, at the same time, data is not affected by an action like this.
Lula has always defended the regulation of social networks and, in December 2022, when he graduated, he spoke again that he would act to end threats to democracy that are happening on the networks. The leader of Brazil ended his letter citing that countries need to unite so that new rules are created and that no one is left out of it.
We must work to reduce the digital divide and promote developing countries' autonomy in this area. We need to guarantee access to the internet for everyone, foster education and the skills necessary for an active and conscious insertion of our citizens in the digital world. Developing countries must be able to act sovereignly in the modern data economy, as agents and not just as data exporters or ive consumers of content.
Lula in a letter delivered at the UNESCO Forum
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The full document can be read at plateau website.
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Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim
