Big tech announced on Tuesday (7 January) the end of fact checking; coalition cites “risk” for vulnerable groups
The Rights on the Network Coalition released on Wednesday (8 January 2025) a manifesto against the change in the moderation policies of Meta – controller of the Facebook, Instagram and Threads platforms. 
Ice cream a (PDF – 99 kB).
A big tech on Tuesday (Jan 7), the end of the fact-checking program that verifies the veracity of information circulating on the networks. Furthermore, the end of restrictions on issues such as migration and gender and the promotion of “civic content”, understood as information of a political-ideological nature.
“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 one signed by more than 75 organizations.
“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. The CEO of Meta [Mark Zuckerberg] explicitly admits accepting the risks that these new policies may filter less harmful content than previous ones”, declares the text.
The document is signed by Idec (Consumer Defense Institute), CUT (Central Única dos Trabalhadores), ABJD (Brazilian Association of Jurists for Democracy), Abong (Brazilian Association of Non-Governmental Organizations), Ação Educativa and Intervozes – Coletivo Brasil de Social Communication, among other entities.
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 new proposed measures worsen the situation by neglecting the real impacts of these online violence practices, “in addition to paving the way for the proliferation of harmful content that destabilizes societies and undermines democratic processes”.
The text 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”, says the text.
“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.”, he declares.
Read more:
With information from .
