Official statements from international organizations or governments

Lula Condemns Meta's 'Extremely Grave' End to Fact-Checking, Defends National Sovereignty

Jan 9, 2025, 04:11 PM

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticized Meta Platforms Inc.'s recent decision to end fact-checking of content in the United States, calling the move "extremely grave." He announced plans to hold a meeting on Thursday, January 9th, to discuss the implications of Meta's action. "One, two, or three citizens cannot think they can harm the sovereignty of a nation," Lula said, emphasizing that digital communication should bear the same responsibilities as traditional media. He added, "As if a citizen could be punished for doing something in real life but not be punished for doing the same thing digitally." Lula underscored the importance of respecting each country's sovereignty and expressed concern over the potential spread of misinformation due to Meta's policy change. The decision by Meta, led by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, to remove fact-checking by agencies has raised alarms within the Brazilian government about the impact on democracy and the need for stringent moderation of online content.