Senator criticizes president for wanting to accelerate regulation of social networks and defends humorist Leo Lins
The Senator (PL-RJ) the President (PT) and stated that the government of the petista seeks “Return the information monopoly to the mainstream media”And uses the Supreme Court (STF) to “Call the right”. The goal, according to the senator, would be to return information control to large media outlets.
Flávio criticized Lula for “Convening Chinese authority specializing in censorship” to implement restrictive measures on Brazilian social networks. This Wednesday (4.Jun.2025), the congressman came out in defense of Leo Lins, 42, suggesting that the restrictions faced by the humorist would be related to the current federal government.
The congressman stated in his official profile at X: “Lula summoned a Chinese authority, specializing in censorship, to try to do in Brazil’s social networks the same as they do in China. Of course, all for democracy!”
According to Flávio, the president would be seeking ways of censorship despite the existence of the Internet Civil Mark and the Penal Code that already regulate the subject. Bolsonaro pointed out that the National Congress had already decided against the possibility of censorship.
Flávio stated that this strategy would be intended to hide problems and cases of corruption in the current federal administration. In his demonstration, the senator used critical terms to characterize the president, calling him “Exceeded, retrograde, grumpy and spiteful.”
Lula wants to accelerate regulation
The speech of Senator Flávio Bolsonaro (PL-RJ) came after the statement of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT) on Tuesday (3.Jun.2025) on the process of regulating social networks in Brazil. Minister Sidônio Palmeira of Secom (Secretariat of Communication) will be responsible for conducting discussions on the subject.
Lula pointed out that regulation must be conducted with the participation of Brazilian society. The president also questioned the use of the concept of freedom of expression to justify undemocratic actions.
“I talked to Mauro Vieira, I received a letter from Xi Jinping, and he was sending a person to talk to. When he comes, it is Sidonian who will receive him. And we want to rush the regulation in the most democratic way possible, listening to Brazilian society, because it is not possible for a guy to try a coup on January 8, 2023 in this country and say this is freedom of expression. [Não é possível] That a citizen can offend a person with the greatest absurd lies and says this is freedom of expression. Freedom of expression means respect“The president declared.
The regulation proposal is still in the early stages. According to Power360, the text is far from being sent to the National Congress. The proposal has not yet arrived at the Civil House, an agency that analyzes the projects before being presented to the Chief Executive.
The president of the Supreme Court (STF), Luís Roberto Barroso, defined that the trial on the accountability of digital platforms by contents published by users will resume on Wednesday (4.jun.2025).
Leo Lins
Comedian Leo Lins, 42, was convicted of the 3rd Federal Criminal Court of São Paulo to 8 years and 3 months in prison initially closed by crimes related to discrimination and hate speech. The decision was released on Wednesday (4.jun.2025). The judgment also determines the payment of a fine equivalent to 1,170 minimum wages and compensation for collective moral damages of R $ 303.6 thousand.
The conviction is related to the show of stand-up comedy “Perturbador”published by Lins in 2022. The video accumulated more than 3 million views before being taken down by court order in 2023. The material contained statements considered offensive against people with disabilities, black, elderly, obese and HIV.
The defense of the humorist said he will appeal against the sentence. Lins may respond in freedom as the appeal process is being processed.
In the grounds of the sentence, the Federal Court pointed out 3 factors that contributed to the worsening of the penalty: the dissemination of material on online platforms, the number of social groups affected and the context of “relaxation, fun or recreation” in which the lines were delivered.
The judicial decision establishes limits to freedom of expression. “The exercise of freedom of expression is neither absolute nor unlimited, and should take place in a field of tolerance and exposing themselves to the restrictions that emerge from the law itself.”says an excerpt from the sentence. The lawsuit began at the state level, but was transferred to the Federal Court in April 2024, following a request for the defense and determination of the TJSP (Court of Justice of São Paulo). The complaint that resulted in the conviction came from the MPF (Federal Public Prosecution Service), which also identified offenses directed to northeastern, evangelicals, Jews, indigenous and homosexuals.
