The Federal Public Ministry (MPF) and the Federal Public Defender’s Office (DPU) are filing a public civil action against Google and those responsible for YouTube channels where hate speech and incitement to violence were recorded. The objective is to exclude posts and regulate content broadcast by police officers in podcast and videocast programs on the platform, to prevent abuses of the right to freedom of expression.
The action also wants to ensure that the State adopts the appropriate disciplinary measures, regulating the use of social networks by military police officers and monitors the misuse of platforms by public agents, as posts by police officers with violent and discriminatory content have been disseminated, inciting violence and stigmatizing poor, black and peripheral communities.
The case began to be investigated by the Regional Prosecutor’s Office for Citizens’ Rights of the MPF in Rio de Janeiro, through a civil inquiry, after reports from Ponte Jornalismo – an independent journalism website – highlighted the violent content broadcast by police officers on several YouTube channels, on podcast and videocast programs. The DPU also initiated a similar procedure.
“The lack of investigation into the events reported in the videos and the absence of disciplinary measures in relation to conduct in the podcasts and videocasts are extremely concerning issues. This omission allows harmful practices to persist without consequences, undermining trust in the police institution and exposing communities to potential harm”, highlighted Julio Araujo, deputy regional attorney for Citizens’ Rights in Rio de Janeiro, and Thales Arcoverde, regional Human Rights defender.
The MPF and DPU asked the Federal Court to immediately delete the excerpts mentioned in the action and for Google to adopt measures for future cases. Google was also asked to monitor and moderate content posted on specific channels, such as Copcast, Fala Glauber, Café com a Política and Danilsosnider. The objective of the MPF and DPU is for the company to implement a plan that allows for continuous analysis of content and the rapid deletion of discriminatory material.
The Court was also asked to determine that the State regulate hateful or dangerous speech by members of the Military Police, including it in Normative Instruction No. 0234/2023, adopting disciplinary measures in relation to the cases already mentioned and described in the legal action.
The MPF and DPU also requested that Google be ordered to pay compensation of R$1 million and the military police officers, R$200,000 for collective moral damages.
