Twitter backtracks and begins removing violent content

Twitter headquarters in Dehli. Photo: Anton Zubchevskyi/Shutterstock

After refusing to delete posts supporting attacks in Brazilian schools, Twitter has backtracked and started removing the content in question. According to newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo, around 100 posts have been deleted as of this Thursday.

Earlier this week, representatives of Elon Musk’s social media platform caused discomfort after refusing to cooperate with the Justice Ministry during a meeting with other companies such as Google, Meta, and TikTok. Lawyers said the posts did not violate the company’s virtually unrestricted free speech policy.

According to Justice Minister Flávio Dino, Twitter changed its stance after the meeting and even created a direct communication channel with the ministry to streamline urgent issues.

The country is experiencing a climate of panic after a series of violent attacks on schools. Two of them resulted in the deaths of four children and a teacher. Rumors and fake news about possible attacks are also terrifying students, parents, and teachers.

Since Mr. Musk bought the social network, its terms of use have become increasingly permissive. But the billionaire has faced questions that could complicate his fortune, both in Brazil and abroad. In Germany, the company faces a possible fine of up to EUR 50 million (USD 55.2 million) for failing to remove illegal content.

On Wednesday, Mr. Dino issued an ordinance that allows authorities to notify, fine (up to USD 4 million), and order the removal or blocking of social media platforms that fail to act on cases of school violence. The measure also requires Big Tech companies to take active measures to prevent the spread of violent content.

But while the ultimate goal of the ordinance seems legitimate, it unilaterally ends the discussion on the limits of content moderation and gives the government the prerogative to punish online platforms for alleged illegal acts committed by users.

Doubts about legal responsibilities of these companies are currently being discussed in an anti-fake news bill in Congress and in two lawsuits on the Supreme Court’s docket.

Amanda Audi

Amanda Audi is a journalist specializing in politics and human rights. She is the former executive director of Congresso em Foco and worked as a reporter for The Intercept Brasil, Folha de S. Paulo, O Globo, Gazeta do Povo, Poder360, among others. In 2019, she won the Comunique-se Award for best-written media reporter and won the Mulher Imprensa award for web journalism in 2020