Brazil prosecutors question Meta over changes to fact-checking program


FILE PHOTO A 3D printed logo of Meta is placed on laptop keyboard in this illustration taken on November 2 2021. REUTERSDado RuvicIllustrationFile Photo

FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed logo of Meta is placed on laptop keyboard in this illustration taken on November 2, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazilian prosecutors on Wednesday ordered that social media platform Meta clarify whether recently announced changes to its fact-checking program in the United States will also be applied to the South American country.

Meta, which on Tuesday scrapped its U.S. fact-checking program and reduced curbs on discussions around 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.

The prosecutors said the order for further details was related to an ongoing probe of the actions taken by social media platforms to combat misinformation and violence online in Brazil.

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

(Reporting by Ricardo Brito in BrasiliaAdditional reporting by Andre Romani in Sao PauloEditing by Matthew Lewis)

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