The article via Google translate:
The Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship, Silvio Almeida, cited the case of suicide of a young woman who was the target of fake news to defend the accountability of both those who spread false content and the companies responsible for social networks. "The regulation of social networks becomes a civilizing imperative", he stated this Saturday (23).
Minas Gerais student Jéssica Canedo, 22, appeared in false conversations with comedian Whindersson Nunes, publicized by gossip profiles on social networks, which reported that the two had a relationship.
Before she died, Jéssica published a text stating that, because of fake news, she was suffering attacks on the internet. Her family reported that she already suffered from depression.
"Tragedies like this involve mental health issues, without a doubt, but also, and perhaps to a greater extent, issues of a political nature", wrote Silvio Almeida on his profile on X (formerly Twitter).
"The irresponsibility of the companies that govern social networks in the face of content that other irresponsible and even criminals (some involved in institutional politics) propagate on it has destroyed families and made a minimally healthy social life impossible", continued the minister.
"Therefore, I return to the point: the regulation of social networks becomes a civilizing imperative, without which there is no talk of democracy or even dignity. The rest is a bet on chaos, death and the monetization of suffering" , he concluded.
Also on X, the Minister of Women, Cida Gonçalves, said that the student's death is "the result of the irresponsibility of profiles on social networks that profit from misogyny and the dissemination of lies and, equally, the lack of accountability on the platforms".
"It is unacceptable that the lying content against Jéssica, which led to a defamation campaign against the young woman, was not taken down by either the owner of the page or platform X for almost a week, even after appeals from Jéssica herself and his mother", declared Cida.
Bill
Silvio Almeida also republished on
"Changing the liability regime for digital platforms is a political and even moral imperative that Congress must face. PL 2630 YES!", says the message.
"The responsibilities [in Jéssica's case] need to be determined and the authors identified and punished. It's not a left or right debate, it's about civilization! The big issue needs to be resolved: platforms are not neutral, algorithms they reward the extreme, the grotesque, the destructive, the aberrant, the chaotic. And this is paid for! There are people profiting from the degeneration of society", wrote the parliamentarian.
Understand the case
At the beginning of the week, gossip profiles shared fake screenshots of a conversation between Jéssica and Whindersson.
The fake messages involved supposed flirting on Instagram, culminating in a request for a personal meeting.
Both, however, denied the authenticity of the messages, claiming they were fake news, and stated that they did not know each other.
The student then published a long message on her Instagram account, revealing that she was suffering attacks. She explicitly asked for the deletion of posts containing fake screenshots.
One of those responsible for the Choquei profile, who wrote about the case, even made a joke about Enem's writing, in response to Jéssica's publication, and then deleted it.
Family members reported the student’s death; Whindersson and Choquei's legal advisors spoke (see notes below).
Read the note published by the Choquei profile:
"We deeply regret what happened and we sympathize with the family and everyone affected by the sad event. We reinforce our commitment to act with diligence and responsibility.
The profile Choquei (@choquei), through its legal advice, would like to clarify to its followers and friends that there was no irregularity in the dissemination of the information provided by this profile. It should be clarified that there is no responsibility to be attributed for the acts carried out, given the action in good faith and regular compliance with the proposed activities.
In relation to the events circulating on social media and which were associated with a tragic event involving the young Jéssica Vitória Canedo, we want to emphasize that all publications were made based on data available at the time and in strict compliance with the usual activities arising from the exercise of right to information.
This profile's commitment has always been and will be to legality, responsibility and ethics in the dissemination of information within the limits established in the Federal Constitution, especially in art. 5th, item IX.
Finally, we reaffirm our respect for intimacy, privacy, well-being and integrity.
São Paulo-SP, December 23, 2023.
