Lula confirms that his Government is preparing a project to regulate social media

Brasilia.- The Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, confirmed this Thursday that his Government is preparing a bill to regulate social media, despite the rejection expressed by the American president, Donald Trump.

Lula stated that the Republican leader “said that Brazil cannot regulate their digital platforms”, but clarified that “in this country there are laws and they also apply to foreigners” operating in the Brazilian market. “We are doing a regulation project” to prevent “the madness they do with children and adolescents”, such as “pedophilia, the stimulation of hatred or the amount of lies that are published, which put democracy at risk”, he said at an event held in the city of Goiana, in the state of Pernambuco (northeast). Lula did not provide details of the project, but official sources have already indicated that it will include measures to reinforce sanctions on social networks that refuse to remove content which, according to the Justice, may be especially harmful to children and adolescents. Trump already warned about the difficulties that internet platforms face to operate in Brazil, after several have been fined and even temporarily suspended for refusing to comply with court orders that established the removal of certain content or for lacking legal representatives in the country. He did it even when he announced additional 50% tariffs on part of Brazilian imports, a decision he justified on the alleged “political persecution” suffered by former President Jair Bolsonaro, who faces a trial for coup plotting before the Supreme Court.

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Lula insisted this Thursday that Trump “committed a foolish act with Brazil” and reiterated that Bolsonaro is being judged with all the guarantees of the right to defense, for “an attempted coup d’état denounced by his own colleagues.” Regarding the tariff issue, he reiterated that Brazil “is willing to negotiate” but on strictly commercial and non-political bases, in which he framed Trump’s decision to tax Brazilian exports.