In a landmark ruling, Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes has declared that social media and tech companies must adhere to local laws to continue operating in Brazil. This decision comes after last year's temporary suspension of social media platform X (formerly Twitter) for failing to comply with court orders related to the moderation of hate speech.
Judge Moraes, who led the Supreme Court decision last year, emphasized that tech firms will only be allowed to operate in Brazil if they respect Brazilian legislation. His remarks were made at an event commemorating two years since riots against Brazilian institutions, including the Supreme Court.
The ruling follows Meta's recent announcement to scrap its U.S. fact-checking program and reduce restrictions on discussions around contentious topics such as immigration and gender identity. Brazilian prosecutors have now ordered Meta to clarify whether these changes will also apply to Brazil. Meta has been given 30 days to respond to this request.
Last year, X was suspended in Brazil for over a month before complying with the court's demands, including blocking certain accounts. X's owner, Elon Musk, had previously criticized the court's orders as censorship and labeled Judge Moraes a "dictator".
The Brazilian court's decision underscores the nation's commitment to combating misinformation and online violence, ensuring that tech companies cannot exploit hate speech for profit.
This ruling is expected to have significant implications for how tech companies operate in Brazil and could set a precedent for other countries seeking to enforce local laws on global tech firms.