Justice Luís Roberto Barroso, Vice President of the Brazilian Federal Supreme Court (STF), advocated for the regulation of “socially undesirable” content on the internet during a lunch lecture at ABPI’s 43rd Congress. He referred to such content as “inauthentic and illicit behaviors.” “Using robots to amplify misinformation or lies is unacceptable,” stated the Justice.
According to Barroso, just as it democratized access to knowledge, the internet “paved the way for misinformation, deliberate lies, and conspiracy theories, which demand greater attention from the Law,” he emphasized. He also highlighted the use of digital platforms for journalistic content without proper compensation. “These platforms have brought a crisis to the traditional journalism business model. However, it is important to remember that the press is not just a private business. It has the role of sharing facts with people, who then form their own opinions.”
From the perspective of the Justice, the challenge lies in “striking the right balance with regulation, but there is no doubt that it is imperative.” Barroso noted that, in this regard, the prevailing idea worldwide, adopted in Europe, is self-regulation by the companies through their terms of use, allowing them to monitor the networks. “No one wants the state to regulate this, but an independent institution, with members from the government, civil society, platforms, with transparency and through the legal process,” he emphasized.
Barroso explained that while the technological revolution has made life easier and “longer,” it has also brought about widespread misinformation, posing risks to democracy and human rights. “If AI develops self-awareness, it’s the end of the civilization we know, as instead of controlling the machines, they will control us,” he warned.
