Lula's Government Announces Takedown Powers Against Posts It Calls 'Electoral Harassment' at Work, and a Labor Court Orders Meta to Act in 24 Hours
Breitbart calls it a censorship campaign. The government says it is protecting workers from being pressured or fired over how they voted. Officials plan lists of offending employers, and critics note the rules do not say what content counts.
Days after his fourth-term win, Brazil's president is moving against online content tied to how people voted, Breitbart reports.
The measures. A task force that includes the Labor Ministry, the Labor Prosecutor's Office, the Attorney General's office, the Superior Labor Court, the Electoral Prosecutor's Office and the Justice Ministry announced steps against what it calls "electoral harassment" at work. They let institutions demand the removal of websites, posts and social media content judged to promote "persecution or discrimination for political reasons." Breitbart says the government named Google and Meta as examples of companies that could get takedown notices. The government says it received many complaints, starting on Sunday's election day, of "threats of dismissal and pressure" over political choices, and that the aim is to "protect workers' freedom of political choice."
The Meta order. Breitbart cites O Globo reporting that the Superior Labor Court granted the Labor Prosecutor's Office a preliminary injunction against Meta. It gave the company 24 hours from Thursday night to remove posts that encourage "dismissal because of how someone voted," and to show a notice for five days, starting within 72 hours, saying political discrimination and electoral harassment are prohibited.
The threats. Labor Minister Luiz Marinho said a list of employers found to have discriminated will be compiled, and violators could lose access to loans. The court's president, Justice Vieira de Mello Filho, spoke of a possible "blacklist" and "very severe" consequences. The government has opened a site for worker complaints.
The speech. In his victory speech Sunday, after beating Sen. Flavio Bolsonaro in the Oct. 25 runoff, Lula said social media platforms "interfered" and "we have to regulate them."
Note for readers: Breitbart says the official site does not clearly explain which content would break the rules. The measures as described target pressure on workers over their votes, and the Meta order covers posts urging dismissals. Our earlier stories on the Brazil runoff are on the site.