"The National Federation of Journalists (FENAJ, for its Portuguese initials), together with its affiliated unions, publicly expresses its profound condemnation and concern regarding the increasing removal of social media profiles linked to Meta accounts and independent and alternative journalism websites in Brazil. Such measures—often implemented arbitrarily and without transparency—constitute a serious form of private censorship by these platforms, undermining the right to information, freedom of the press and the plurality of public debate.
The situation is particularly alarming in the North and Northeast regions, where independent outlets play an essential role in territories considered 'news deserts,' often serving as the few voices documenting socio-environmental conflicts, human rights violations and issues overlooked by mainstream media.
[...]
FENAJ warns that this phenomenon could intensify as the election period approaches. Organized groups have been exploiting vulnerabilities in Big Tech algorithms to take down critical profiles through massive campaigns of false reports. The combination of automated moderation mechanisms, algorithmic flaws and coordinated false-reporting campaigns creates an environment conducive to private censorship by platforms, enabling the silencing of critical and independent voices."
Read original release (in Portuguese)
This text was translated with the assistance of AI and reviewed by Teresa Mioli.
