"Misogyny is profitable", says Brazilian Ministry of Women spokesperson at Supreme Court hearing"

Special adviser to Brazil’s Ministry of Women (Ministério das Mulheres/MMulheres), lawyer Isis Menezes Táboas defended the need for mechanisms to combat violence against women on digital platforms at a Supreme Federal Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal/STF) hearing on Tuesday (28) that discussed Brazil’s Civil Rights Framework for the Internet (Marco Civil da Internet/MCI). To Táboas, combating misogyny must be the main focus of any discussions concerning MCI rules that legislate on the responsibility of app providers — or internet tools — for user-generated content, as well as on the possibility of removing content that may offend rights, incite hatred or spread fake news.

Táboas also highlighted that the Ministry has been following discussions about the so-called "machosphere" – where "misogyny reigns" in so-called "masculinity influencers" hate speech – with a great deal of concern. As well as excerpts of misogynistic content, the MMulheres advisor presented messages that had circulated freely – for a considerable length of time, anonymously – before being removed by platforms. "This kind of content is a serious violation of women’s human and political rights, and, despite existing within the digital environment, it has an enormous impact on the concrete, material, political, professional and personal lives of countless women", she said.

Moreover – as well as calling out social media networks for their omission concerning the systematic violation of women's human and political rights —, Táboas denounced platforms that host misogynistic organizations’ accounts or channels which profit from this type of content. She also mentioned a study carried out by fact-checking agency Aos Fatos, which analyzed 80 channels of this type on YouTube: "All in all, 35 were monetized by the platform itself, and another 36 used different strategies – such as selling courses and e-books – to make a profit. In other words: misogyny is profitable", she said.

More information is available on the Ministry of Women website (in Brazilian Portuguese).