Bill against fake news could criminalize any citizen arbitrarily
The draft legislation runs the risk of infringing on the right to freedom of expression by abusively exploiting data
Senators debating in the Congressional Inquiry Commission on Fake News
Nearly 50 organizations have signed a statement against Bill No. 2,630/2020, drafted by Senator Alessandro Vieira, which proposes to establish the Law of Freedom, Responsibility and Transparency on the Internet. The bill has the intention of combating fake news. However, it poses serious risks, such as the excessive collection of data on citizens and organizations.
Given its powers to monitor the social networks and criminalize certain behaviors, the bill could have a terrible impact on the right to freedom of expression. This affects not only citizens who are not under suspicion, but also the press and organizations in general.
Equipped with the control of information, such a law would provide an enormous database on all people and services. It would enable tracking without good reason and the criminalization of various types of behavior.
The organizations point out in the statement that we already face daily restrictions to civic and democratic space. And they express concern that the proposed law could be used to further harass and condemn social movements.
In the statement, they also note the importance of finding a way to combat misinformation. However, the solution proposed by the senators Ângelo Coronel and Alessandro Vieira opens the door to arbitrary surveillance and criminalization, thereby curbing the right to freedom of expression.
