President Bolsonaro Issues New Decree On The Use Of Social Media In Brazil

Domestic politics in Brazil is experiencing tensions involving social media. (photo: unsplash)

JAKARTA - Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has signed a decree aimed at limiting the power of social media companies to delete accounts and content. Bolsonaro said the rule change was necessary to combat the "arbitrary deletion" of profiles.

He said the new law would help protect free speech in Brazil.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Twitter and Facebook have removed many posts shared by the president and his supporters that were deemed misleading.

"This new decision aims to provide clarity on the power of social media companies to monitor content on their platforms," said a spokesman for the president's office.

Details of the decree released so far only state that the tech giant must provide "just reasons and motivation" before deleting accounts or content. However, it is unclear exactly how the order will be enforced.

The announcement came on the eve of what were expected to be major pro-Bolsonaro demonstrations across Brazil.

Supporters of the president will protest against the country's Congress and Supreme Court, which last month added Bolsonaro's name to a list of people under investigation for alleged production of misinformation.

Critics say the march, which coincided with the country's Independence Day celebrations, was a danger to democracy. Bolsonaro and his allies have frequently deleted posts on social media since the start of the pandemic.

In July, YouTube removed about 15 videos from Bolsonaro's channel for spreading misinformation about Covid-19.

Some of the deleted posts included videos promoting the use of hydroxychloroquine, the malaria drug and the anti-parasitic drug Ivermectin as a treatment against the coronavirus. Though both have not been proven as an effective treatment against the virus.

Last year, Facebook complied with an order by Brazil's Supreme Court to block the accounts of dozens of Bolsonaro's top allies accused of spreading misinformation against federal judges.

Bolsonaro has since encouraged supporters to engage with him on alternative platforms such as Telegram and Parler.