Meta and YouTube Have Reportedly Removed Content Supporting Brazil Attack

YouTube has reportedly removed the content backing or praising the Brazilian attack from its platform. Google’s video platform and Facebook’s parent company, Meta announced on January 9, 2023, that they would remove content seemingly supporting or appreciating anti-democratic demonstrators’ attack on the Brazilian governmental structures on the weakened.

Thousands of supporters of Jair Bolsonaro – the former Brazilian, attacked the government buildings, including the presidential palace, and smashed its windows and Congress’s flooded part using a sprinkler system. The three-hour- raid by anti-democratic demonstrators also surrounded the Supreme Court and damaged its rooms.

According to a Meta representative, the company designated Brazil a high-risk location ahead of the election. It has already started removing content requiring people to forcibly attack Congress and federal buildings, including the Presidential palace. 

Meta Designated Brazil a Potential High-Risk Location

As per tech news reporter JustReviewed, the Facebook parent company has also designated it as a violating occurrence, which aims to eliminate the support or appreciation of these violent actions. Meta is determined to follow the situation and will keep removing the posts or videos that violate its policies.   

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Leftist President, defeated Bolsonaro in a runoff election in October and joined the office on the first working day of the new year. It ended Brazil’s most right-wing administration in decades. The former President firmly refused to accept defeat, while a group of Bolsonaro supporters claimed the misconduct and manipulated results in the election. They encouraged people on messaging and social media platforms, such as Twitter, TikTok, Telegram, Facebook, and YouTube to organize protests. 

According to a YouTube spokesperson, the video-sharing company had closely tracked the situation regarding Brazilian politics and the attack on federal buildings. It is where social media platforms have begun to block users accused of backing the attack. 

The representative said YouTube has a Trust and Safety team responsible for deleting content violating its Community Guidelines. It includes videos inciting violence and live streams. YouTube systems have prominently surfaced authoritative content on their homepage in recommendations or at the top of search results. The company would remain vigilant as the situation keeps unfolding. 

Active Monitoring by the Social Media Platforms 

While Twitter and TikTok did not instantly comment, its Brazilian staff faced strict dismissals after Elon Musk took over in October. It included over eight employees who supervised trending topics and added context to Twitter posts labeled for misinformation. 

Messages sent by such groups organized meeting points in numerous cities to occupy public buildings. 

Many people criticized social media companies for not making enough effort when Donald Trump’s supporters attacked the US Capitol in 2020. Facebook and YouTube have claimed they have already begun removing misleading information about elections.

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