Brazilian prosecutors question Meta over changes to fact-checking program

BRASILIA: Brazilian prosecutors on Wednesday ordered social media platform Meta to clarify whether recently announced changes to its fact-checking program in the United States will also apply to the South American country.

Meta, which on Tuesday scrapped its fact-checking program in the United States and eased restrictions on discussions of contentious topics such as immigration and gender identity, was given 30 days to provide a response, a document seen by Reuters showed.

Meta’s office in Brazil declined to comment.

Prosecutors said the order to provide more details was related to an ongoing investigation into actions taken by social media platforms to combat misinformation and online violence in Brazil.

Last year, social media platform X was suspended in Brazil for more than a month for failing to comply with court orders, including some related to moderating hate speech.