Brazil Gives Meta 72 Hours to Explain Changes to Fact-Checking Program by January 13

Jan 13, 2025, 12:08 PM

The Brazilian government has given Meta, the company behind Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, 72 hours to explain changes to its content moderation policies. The deadline for this explanation was set to end on Monday, January 13, 2025. The changes, announced by Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg on January 7, include the termination of the fact-checking program and a shift towards user-initiated moderation of harmful content. The Brazilian Attorney General's Office (AGU) expressed concerns over the potential impact of these changes on combating crimes such as gender violence, racism, and homophobia on Meta's platforms. The AGU's notification to Meta also highlighted the need for the company to clarify how it will continue to protect fundamental rights in the digital environment, especially in relation to preventing hate speech, racism, and gender violence.