Fake news PL creates immunity for parliamentarians on the networks

Note signed by more than 50 bodies criticizes articles of PL 2630/20, which can make it difficult to moderate content posted by parliamentarians

Sessão Deliberativa do Plenário da Câmara (foto: Agência Câmara de Notícias

About 50 civil society organizations released this Wednesday (06th of April) a note that alerts some notable points of Bill 2630/2020, also known as “PL of Fake News”.

Debatable since July 2020 in the Chamber of Deputies, the project may have an urgent request voted on this Thursday (7th of April). The entities, however, ask for the removal of two articles: one that offers parliamentary immunity on social networks and another that provides for remuneration for journalistic content shared on social networks.

The first (article 22) article extends parliamentary immunity to social networks, preventing deputies and senators from being held liable, either civilly or criminally, for opinions and words uttered in a digital environment and content. In addition, it opens a gap for parliamentarians to be shielded against the platforms’ content moderation rules. In practice, content deemed inappropriate or fake news could not be removed.

Another point (article 38) concerns the remuneration to producers of journalistic content based on copyright, and determines that the regulation of the law provides on criteria, ways to measure values, negotiation, conflict resolution, transparency and appreciation of journalism professional. According to the organizations, “the text has vague language and lacks a series of definitions, especially what in terms of ‘journalistic content’, and they ask that the agenda be debated in depth – which has not yet been done by Congress as at the time of putting this report together.