In a letter to Unesco, Lula highlights the challenge of guaranteeing freedom of expression in balance with the collective right to information

Although the development of the internet has provided countless benefits, it is essential to underline that the digital environment has led to market and power concentration in the hands of a few companies and countries, in addition, it has brought risks to democracy, to coexistence among people and to public health. This view on the subject was at the heart of the letter from the President of the Republic, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, sent to the director-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), Audrey Azoulay, and read in the world conference "Towards a Trusted Internet" (Internet for Trust), that started this Wednesday (2/22) in Paris.

It is UNESCO's first global conference on the issue. Brazil participates with a delegation which includes, among others, the Secretary for Digital Policies of the Secretariat for Social Communication (Secom) of the Presidency of the Republic, João Caldeira Brant, the Attorney General of the Union, Marcelo Eugenio Feitosa Almeida; the special adviser to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP), Estela Aranha; in addition to Frederico Assis (Special Advisor to the President of the Republic) and Alfonso Lages Besada (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Lula sent the letter with the purpose of collaborating with the debate on attacks on the integrity of information and freedom of expression on social media platforms. "The spread of misinformation during the pandemic has contributed to thousands of deaths. Hate speech claims victims every day. And the hardest hit are the most vulnerable sectors of our societies", he pointed out. The president also recalled the attacks carried out in Brazil on January 8 and argued that episodes of violence represented the "apex of a campaign, started much earlier, that used lies and disinformation as ammunition." For Lula, the attacks were aimed at "democracy and the credibility of Brazilian institutions".

To a large extent, according to the president, such a campaign was "managed, organized and disseminated" through various digital platforms and messaging applications. "He repeated the same method that had already generated acts of violence in other parts of the world. This has to stop", he reinforced. For Lula, it is urgent that the international community unite so that effective responses are given to the problem. "We need balance. On the one hand, it is necessary to guarantee the exercise of individual freedom of expression, which is a fundamental human right. On the other hand, we need to guarantee a collective right: the right of society to receive reliable information, not lies or misinformation", he stressed.

In his letter, Lula defended that the regulation of social networks should be the result of a broad global debate, with multilateral coordination and broad social participation in the discussions. "To be efficient, the regulation of platforms must be prepared with transparency and a lot of social participation. And at the international level, it must be multilaterally coordinated. The process launched at Unesco, I am certain, will serve to build a plural and transparent dialogue. A process that involves governments, experts and civil society".

See the full letter from President Lula sent to Audrey Azoulay

BRAZILIAN PARTICIPATION — The conference is a response to a global call for action from United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to address the spread of misinformation and denial of scientifically established facts, which pose “an existential risk to humanity”. In Paris, more than 3,000 representatives from governments, regulatory bodies, digital companies, universities and civil society are expected.

“We are seeing the effects of disinformation, hate speech, attacks on democracy in Brazilian society”, highlighted João Brant. “The intention of the Brazilian government is to have this debate by connecting actions in Brazil together with this global articulation. It is a problem that the whole world suffers in the same way”, added the secretary of Digital Policies at Secom.

"The Unesco meeting was an important initiative to promote a dialogue on the regulation of digital platforms around the world. Today there is a global agenda on regulatory processes that can reduce the circulation of illegal content that brings significant risks to democracy and to human rights, but at the same time it is necessary to guarantee freedom of expression and access to reliable information", stated Estela Aranha.

In addition to the official representatives of the Federal Government, the event will also be attended by the Minister of the Supreme Court, Luiz Roberto Barroso; the digital influencer Felipe Neto; the journalist Patrícia Campos Mello; the Brazilian Ambassador to UNESCO, Santiago Irazabal Mourão; and the head of the area of Freedom of Expression and Safety of Journalists at UNESCO, Guilherme Canela.

This Wednesday, the Brazilian government's agenda foresees a meeting with Peggy Hicks, director of Thematic Participation, Special Procedures and the Right to Development Division of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the UN; a presentation to diplomats from the Brazilian Embassy on current digital public policies; and a meeting with Christophe Deloire, secretary general of Reporters Without Borders, and with Camille Grenier, from the Information and Democracy Forum, as well as a reception at the residence of ambassador Santiago Irazabal Mourão.

On Thursday (2/23), a meeting is planned with Louis Delahaie, director of the European Union Directorate; a lunch with the French Unesco team and a meeting with Marc-Antoine Brillant, deputy head of the Viginum service, a surveillance and protection service against foreign digital interference created by the French government.

GUIDELINES — As the UN agency for communication and information, UNESCO is leading a series of global consultations to define common guidelines aimed at finding solutions on the theme addressed at the conference in Paris. According to the UN, the guidelines should be finalized and published in the middle of this year and will be used by governments, regulatory and judicial bodies, civil society, media and digital companies to help improve the reliability of information online, promoting freedom of expression and human rights.