Google Brazil’s senior executive encouraged further debate about digital platform regulation to amend a measure that could be “perverse” for everyone.
Nearly two months ago, the country’s top court ordered a probe into Telegram and Google officials who led a campaign opposing an internet control measure.
The Fake News Law, Bill 2630, would require internet businesses, search engines, and social media platforms to detect and report illegal content or face steep fines.
Google Inc. vice president and Google Brazil director Fabio Coelho told reporters at an event that the business is in talks with Brazilian authorities and “is not against” digital platform regulation.
“Google is always in the position of dialogue, the dialogue is to improve a regulation, so that it is not falsely good and turns out to be perverse for everyone,” he stated, noting that all actors should be considered. Alphabet Inc. owns Google.
Coelho said the company is in talks with the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), the rapporteur of the Fake News Law, lawmaker Orlando Silva, and the federal government to create regulation that “will be good to everyone.”
He did not explain their demands or reservations about the proposal.
In April, Google’s country director of government relations and public policy, Marcelo Lacerda, signed a manifesto against “hasty” legislation.
Later that month, the search engine home page warned that such a bill could “worsen your internet.” It linked users to a Lacerda-signed blog post that criticized the law. Congress has not voted on the bill.
