Telegram calls Brazil disinformation law 'attack on democracy'

Telegram calls Brazil disinformation law 'attack on democracy'

Telegram has said a Brazilian bill aimed at stemming disinformation online constitutes an 'attack' on democracy
Telegram has said a Brazilian bill aimed at stemming disinformation online constitutes an 'attack' on democracy. Photo: GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP/File
Source: AFP

PAY ATTENTION: Enjoy reading our stories? Join YEN.com.gh's Telegram channel for more!

Messaging app Telegram warned Tuesday that "democracy is under attack in Brazil," the latest salvo by tech companies opposed to a bill seeking to stem disinformation online.

"Brazil is about to pass a law that will end free speech," the company said in a message sent to users on Bill 2630, which has passed the Senate and is awaiting a vote in the lower house of Congress.

It claimed the bill "gives the government censorship powers without prior judicial oversight," calling it "one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation ever considered in Brazil."

Telegram's statement came a week after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government accused Google of "deceitful and abusive propaganda" against the bill.

The US tech giant had displayed a prominent message on its Brazilian homepage warning the legislation could "make your internet worse."

Read also

Trudeau slams Facebook for threatening to block Canadian news

Google removed the message the same day the National Consumer Protection Bureau ordered it to also give space to opposing views or face a fine of one million reais ($200,000) an hour.

PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Telegram has also faced legal problems in Brazil.

Last month, a court ruled to suspend the app for refusing to give the authorities requested data on neo-Nazi groups allegedly fueling school violence via the platform.

The ruling was overturned on appeal two days later.

In March 2022, a Supreme Court justice threatened to block Telegram in Brazil for refusal to respect court orders, notably one to suspend the account of blogger Allan dos Santos, a prominent backer of far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro who is under investigation for spreading disinformation.

Dubbed the "fake news bill" by the media and the "censorship bill" by opponents, the Brazilian legislation was introduced three years ago.

Read also

Church of England joins shareholder revolt on Shell climate goals

It shot to prominence after Bolsonaro supporters ran riot in Brasilia on January 8, allegedly egged on by social media disinformation claiming their candidate's 2022 election loss to Lula was fraudulent.

New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.