Moraes defends punishment for big techs that induce voting

The president of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE), Alexandre de Moraes, defended this Thursday (1st) punishment for big techs (companies that dominate the technology market) for disseminating false content that induces voters to vote. He was also in favor of regulating social networks, private messaging services and artificial intelligence.

At the opening of the work of the Electoral Court in 2024, Moraes stated that technology companies, owners of social media platforms and private messaging services, profit financially from the dissemination of misinformation, fraudulent news and hate speech to certain groups of voters , and therefore, they must be held responsible for influencing the voter choice process.

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“They must be responsible for what they gain economic results, for the content that their algorithms promote, indicate, and take to voters,” he said.

The minister cited other practices that should also be subject to penalties, such as maintaining inauthentic accounts, denials of requests for immediate removal of content and accounts with hate speech and anti-democratic content, in addition to the lack of warning about the use of artificial intelligence in content. .

Moraes' opinion is in line with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's vision on the topic. At the opening ceremony of the Judiciary Year, at the Federal Supreme Court (STF), also this Tuesday, Lula called for punishment of companies that allow crimes to be committed on their platforms.

Regulation

Moraes also demanded national rules for the operation of social networks and private messaging services in the country.

“There is a need for general regulation by the National Congress in defense of democracy. It is no longer possible to allow the targeting of false speech, the induction of hate speech, massive disinformation without any responsibility on the part of the so-called big techs.”

According to him, the Electoral Court will regulate the issue this year, when municipal elections will be held in October. The resolutions are being reported by the vice-president of the Court, Cármen Lúcia.

“There is no longer any way to admit that social networks are no man’s land, a lawless land, where there is no responsibility,” he added.

He also announced the creation of a group, made up of TSE employees and Federal Police agents, to improve monitoring and identify those who spread false content and hate speech on social media.