On Friday, it was revealed that Google has enlisted the services of former Brazilian President Michel Temer to lobby lawmakers who are deliberating a proposed internet regulation bill, informally known as the Fake News bill. The bill aims to hold internet companies, search engines, and social messaging services accountable for identifying and reporting illegal content, imposing significant fines for non-compliance.
Tech companies have expressed concerns about the bill, with some launching campaigns on their platforms to oppose it. The country’s highest court had previously ordered an investigation into executives from Google and social messaging service Telegram, who had led a campaign criticizing the proposed regulation.
According to Temer’s adviser, the former president has been working as a “mediator” between Google and lawmakers for approximately three weeks. Temer’s role involves facilitating discussions and negotiations with Brazil’s parliament on behalf of the company.
Temer denied engaging in conversations with justices at the Supreme Court, although he has reportedly met with lawmaker Orlando Silva, who is responsible for managing the internet legislation, to discuss specific aspects of the bill.
Brazil’s Supreme Court is expected to rule on two appeals that could potentially introduce more flexibility into the internet legislation. The court’s decision, originally scheduled for June, has been postponed.
Google issued a statement clarifying that it engages specialized agencies and consultants to facilitate dialogue with public authorities, enabling the company to contribute to policymakers and parliamentarians, particularly in matters of significance and technical complexity such as the development of new legislation.
