Google backtracks on anti-Fake News Bill push

Google on Tuesday gave up on presenting users from Brazil with a link on its home page to a text by its Brazil head of government relations, Marcelo Lacerda, throwing shade at the so-called “Fake News Bill,” which proposes stricter regulation of social media, messaging apps, and search engines in Brazil.

The move was one of many by Big Tech companies against the bill, which include intense lobbying with Brazilian congressmen and other ad campaigns. 

Google told users “The fake news bill could make your internet worse” — later changed to “The fake news bill could increase confusion about what is true or false in Brazil.” The Justice Ministry’s consumer defense department, as well as prosecutors in São Paulo, considered that the move went “beyond the usual tactics in public debate.”

The Justice Ministry told Google to flag the link as an ad and inform users about its commercial interests against the bill. It also wants the tech giant to inform whether it has interfered in the search engine’s algorithm to decrease visibility of content in favor of the bill. The penalty for non-compliance is BRL 1 million (USD 198,000) per hour.

“Google has removed the encrypted and illegal advertising from its home page. We hope that the platforms will deactivate mechanisms of censorship or violation of freedom of expression. And we remain open to dialogue. The law must prevail over this digital Wild West,” Justice Minister Flávio Dino wrote on Twitter.

The Fake News Bill could go to a House floor vote on Tuesday, but the lack of unity within the government’s coalition could lead to the vote being postponed. The Brazilian Report explained the main points of the bill in Friday’s Brazil Daily newsletter and Brasília correspondent Cedê Silva got an exclusive interview with the bill’s rapporteur.

The bill makes platforms liable for harm caused by third-party content if they are paid to boost the reach of that content — which the Luiz Inácio Luiz Lula da Silva government says will force them to be more responsible with moderation.

Tech companies and conservatives (especially Jair Bolsonaro supporters) claim the bill will increase the risk of disinformation by limiting their ability to shut down misinformation.

• #fakeNews
• #google