Brazil studying Meta response to fact-check ultimatum

Brazil was on Tuesday analyzing a response from social media giant Meta which had been given a 72-hour deadline to explain its fact-checking policy for the country.

The Attorney General’s office (AGU) said in a statement that Meta had responded within the deadline after a threat of “legal and judicial” measures if the company failed to do so.

The response will be discussed at a meeting Tuesday of representatives of the justice ministry, human rights ministry and the presidency’s communication arm.

“Only after this analysis, the AGU, together with the other bodies, will pronounce itself on the next steps about the matter and will make the content of the statement public,” the statement said.

The Latin American giant, which has a population of over 200 million people, is one of several countries deeply concerned over Meta’s decision to weaken checks on disinformation.

The company, which runs the social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Threads, announced last week it was stopping fact-checking in the US due to concerns about political bias and censorship.

The decision was widely seen as an attempt to appease President-elect Donald Trump, whose conservative support base has long complained that fact-checking on tech platforms was a way to curtail free speech and censor right-wing content.

The International Fact-Checking Network has warned of devastating consequences if Meta broadens its policy shift beyond US borders to the company’s programs covering more than 100 countries.

© 2025 AFP