The Rights on the Network Coalition released this Wednesday (8) a manifesto against the change in the moderation policies of Meta – controller of the Facebook, Instagram and Threads platforms. 
THE big tech announcedThis week, the end of fact-checking program which verifies the veracity of information circulating on the networks; the end of restrictions on issues such as migration and gender; and the promotion of “civic content”, understood as information with a political-ideological content.
“Under the guise of ‘restoring freedom of expression’, the proposals outlined not only put vulnerable groups who use these services at risk, but also undermine years of global efforts to promote a somewhat safer, more inclusive and democratic digital space,” says the text signed by more than 75 entities.
“The company signals that it will no longer take content moderation actions against misinformation, hate speech and other protection policies in favor of the most vulnerable people. Meta’s CEO explicitly admits accepting the risks that these new policies may filter less harmful content than previous ones”, adds the text.
The document is signed, among other entities, by the Consumer Protection Institute (Idec), Central Única dos Trabalhadores (CUT), Brazilian Association of Jurists for Democracy (ABJD), Brazilian Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (Abong), Ação Educativa, and Intervozes – Coletivo Brasil de Comunicação Social.
According to the text, the content moderation policies of Meta networks are currently flawed, making possible practices of gender-based violence, actions against the protection of children and adolescents, and allowing the growth of groups that propagate hate speech. and disinformation.
For the coalition, the proposed new measures worsen the situation by neglecting the real impacts of these online violence practices, “in addition to opening the way for the proliferation of harmful content that destabilizes societies and undermines democratic processes.”
The text also says that the Goal openly attacks the democratic efforts of nations to protect their populations against the damage caused by big techs. “With this, it prioritizes, once again, American interests and the profits of its corporation to the detriment of the construction of digital environments that value the safety of its consumers.”
“The ad [da Meta] is emblematic of a structural problem: the concentration of power in the hands of corporations that act as arbiters of digital public space, while ignoring the consequences of their decisions for billions of users. This setback cannot be seen as a mere adjustment of corporate policies, but as a frontal attack by this digital platform monopoly on the achievements of a safer and more democratic internet.”
