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Brazil’s Supreme Court judge, who gained international fame for forcing Elon Musk into an unprecedented retreat, says democracy is at risk as social media platforms slide into “fascist speech” unless they are regulated. He said there was.
Alexandre de Moraes, the shaved-headed judge who blocked Mr Musk’s website said.
“Social networks should not be lawless zones,” De Moraes told the FT’s Global Boardroom digital conference. “The laws that apply to the real world must also apply to the virtual world. Otherwise we will be allowing a resurgence of Nazi speech, fascist speech, attacks on democracy and people. .”
De Moraes was killed after leading a campaign against online extremism and hate speech during the 2022 election in which former President Jair Bolsonaro narrowly lost re-election to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. He has become a hate figure in Brazil’s hard-right movement.
A police investigation last month uncovered a suspected far-right coup plot to kill Lula after her victory, and revealed that the judge was also an assassination target in the aborted plot.
Supporters of the 55-year-old former prosecutor say he has repeatedly ordered social networks to remove extremist and false posts or face hefty fines, exposing Latin America’s largest democracy to a wave of fake news. It claims that it has contributed to protecting against Opponents have accused him of censorship and unfairly targeting conservatives.
“Social networks have allowed their use by extremists, primarily right-wing extremists,” the judge said. “And the lack of regulation and the monetization of this, because social networks are making money from hate. . . . That’s really a risk to democracy.
“(This) has been used to try to manipulate the will of voters and truly brainwash voters. . . . The way social media does business relies on extremism.”
Mr. de Moraes rose to prominence earlier this year after Mr. Musk labeled Mr. de Moraes an “evil dictator” and Mr. X refused to suspend several profiles suspected of spreading misinformation. became internationally famous.
The feud culminated in August with Mr. de Moraes blocking X, affecting about 20 million Brazilian users, one of the platform’s largest markets. The ban was lifted in October after X agreed to comply with court demands, including paying a hefty fine and appointing legal representation in the country.
A bill to regulate social media has stalled in Brazil’s Congress, giving the Supreme Court more leeway to decide the dispute. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a case regarding the legal liability of social networks for content published by their users.
“Throughout the history of humanity, large corporations (and) all means of influencing society have been regulated,” De Moraes said.
“There are studies in Europe and the United States about an increase in teen suicides due to virtual bullying.Therefore, the justice system and Congress need to curb abuses and excesses and ensure that freedom of expression is fully guaranteed (but) responsibly. “There is,” he added.
Free speech advocates say Brazil’s Supreme Court has gone too far, but De Moraes insisted he supports “minimalist” regulations that ensure a “free market of ideas.”
“I don’t think corporations or big tech companies should be responsible and have to control all the content. That’s just not possible from a practical standpoint,” he said.
But technology groups like Google, which currently make a lot of money from advertising, should have “the same responsibility as media companies,” de Moraes added.
Bolsonaro’s supporters say the judge’s approach was not taken lightly, saying hundreds of people, including politicians, had their social media accounts banned or their content removed on Bolsonaro’s orders. are.
Mr. de Moraes and his family have been under police protection since the 2022 elections. Investigators say he and other regime leaders were targeted for assassination by far-right military officers seeking to keep President Bolsonaro in power.
A police report from the investigation led by de Moraes said the co-conspirators intended to kill Lula, Vice President-elect Gerardo Alcumin and Supreme Court justices. Brazil’s attorney general will now have to decide whether to formally indict the suspects, including Bolsonaro and retired generals. They denied the allegations.
De Moraes denied accusations of abuse of power against him, calling the plan “the most systematic and serious attack on democracy” in Brazil since the fall of military dictatorship in 1985.
Mr. Bolsonaro’s lawyers have argued that Mr. de Moraes has a conflict of interest and should be removed from overseeing the coup investigation, given his status as a potential victim.
“All final decisions are collegial and are delivered by the Ministers of the Supreme Federal Court, who may or may not agree with my decision,” he said.
