In the document entitled “PL 2630/20, the turn of the truth”, the entities express support for the approval of the PL and criticize the resistance of the technology giants
The Freedom with Responsibility Coalition, which brings together 43 national and state communication entities in the country, launched a letter in support of the approval of PL 2630/2020, known as “Fake News PL”. In the document, they ask that Arthur Lira, president of the Chamber of Deputies, and Rodrigo Pacheco, president of the Federal Senate, give “priority in the deliberation” of the PL.
Among the entities that make up the Coalition and sign the text are Abap (Brazilian Association of Advertising Agencies), Abert (Brazilian Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters), National Association of Newspapers (ANJ), Fenapro (National Federation of Advertising Agencies) , Outdoor Central and APP (Association of Advertising Professionals).
“Recently, a version of the text was made public that advances relevant points on the legislative proposal of the working group created exclusively to deal with the subject. The new version reflects the maturity of PL 2630/2020, which is ready for consideration in the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies.”, they say.
In the text, the entities criticize the resistance of the technology giants, which released joint positioning and also an advertising campaign, as in the case of Facebook, against the approval of the PL.
“It should be noted that the law determines important transparency obligations, essential both for users to protect themselves from abuses by large platforms and for regulatory authorities. Thus, unlike what is propagated by digital giants, the project will not end digital advertising. Otherwise, it will increase transparency about advertisements and boosts, which often fund disinformation and hate speech.”
Read the letter in full:
PL 2630/20, the truth’s turn
A COALITION FREEDOM WITH RESPONSIBILITYan alliance that brings together 43 national and state communication entities in the country, comes to express support for the approval of PL 2630/2020, asking the Chamber of Deputies, in the person of its president, deputy Arthur Lira, and the Federal Senate, in the person of the president Rodrigo Pacheco, priority in the deliberation of the so-called “Fake News PL”.
Recently, a version of the text was made public that advances relevant points on the legislative proposal of the working group created exclusively to deal with the subject. The new version reflects the maturity of PL 2630/2020, which is ready for consideration in the plenary of the Chamber of Deputies.
It is to be expected that the technology giants will resist any type of regulation, a behavior that is repeated in all the countries that discuss regulations for this industry. Europe, for example, is quite advanced with its Digital Markets Act, as is Canada in terms of remuneration for journalistic content, which is already a reality in France and Australia.
The big platforms are companies responsible for shaping new ways for people to work, communicate, buy, sell and consume products and services. It is precisely in the face of the essentiality of these services and the power of the digital market that regulation is imposed. And PL 2630/2020 is the answer, through a text widely debated in the Brazilian Congress.
It should be noted that the law determines important transparency obligations, which are essential both for users to protect themselves from abuse by large platforms and for enforcement authorities.
Thus, unlike the propagated by digital giants, the project will not end digital advertising. On the contrary, it will increase transparency about ads and boosts, which often fund disinformation and hate speech.
It is clear misinformation, in fact, to say that the project would prohibit advertising or digital services. The text, in fact, guarantees that services and small businesses provided in association with the platforms are not targeted by unfair competition or by the abuse of economic power in the processing of data.
PL 2630 also creates mechanisms for greater transparency in the moderation of content and seeks to attack currently hidden behaviors that act in a coordinated way in a network to intoxicate the public debate and distort reality. The law also does not impose rules or codes of conduct, which, rightly, remain the responsibility of big techs.
Finally, another topic that deserves to be treated with transparency is the fair remuneration of professional journalistic content, which is the most legitimate and natural barrier against disinformation. Press vehicle content is a key input for essential digital services. Without journalism, there is no democracy and, in its vacuum, fake news flourishes.
The project does not exhaust the topic, but opens the need for its regulation after a new and specific discussion. The coalition understands from the outset that all those who regularly and professionally produce original press content and who maintain a physical address and responsible editor in the country must be reached through remuneration.
There has been a lot of talk about the information and knowledge society and the ways to pursue it. Certainly, there is no way out of the rule of law and respect for the law. It is the duty of democracy to fight for its preservation. And each and every sovereign State, as is the purpose of PL 2630, aims to ensure that respect for rules and civility are applied to all, regardless of their nature.
