Brazil issues 72-hour notice to Meta over fact-checking practices

MEXICO CITY

Brazil’s federal government issued an extrajudicial notice to Meta on Thursday demanding clarification of its fact-checking practices to combat hate speech and disinformation on its platforms.

The Attorney General’s Office gave Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, 72 hours to explain its approach following the company’s decision this week to discontinue its data verification program. Meta owns social media platforms Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

“Brazil has strict legislation to protect children and adolescents, vulnerable populations, and the business environment, and we will not allow these networks to turn the environment into digital carnage or barbarism,” said a government press release.

The government also requested that Facebook remove a manipulated video posted on Thursday. The video, generated using artificial intelligence, falsely attributed statements to Finance Minister Fernando Haddad about creating a tax on pets and prenatal animals.

“The post, manipulated through artificial intelligence, contains fraudulent information and attributes to the minister statements that never existed,” the notice said.

Meta this week announced it would replace traditional fact-checking practices with a “community notes” feature similar to the one employed on X.

“In light of the changes announced in Meta’s policy, it is essential to emphasize the company’s need to promote and protect fundamental rights in accordance with infra-constitutional legislation and the 1988 Constitution,” the office said.

The notice is part of broader efforts by the Brazilian government to hold social media companies accountable for disinformation and hate speech. Authorities have previously filed lawsuits against platforms like TikTok and X, resulting in temporary suspensions of their services in Brazil.