Censorship in Brazil
This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2022) |
Part of a series on |
Censorship by country |
---|
![]() |
Countries |
See also |
Censorship in Brazil, both cultural and political, occurred throughout the whole period following the colonization of the country. Even though most state censorship ended before the period of redemocratization that started in 1985, Brazil still experiences a certain amount of non-official censorship today. The current legislation restricts
History
Military government (1964–1985)
In 1976, the federal government banned the performance on TV of the play Romeo and Juliet, performed by the Bolshoi Ballet and produced by BBC,[3] under the allegation that the Bolshoi, being a Russian ballet company, and Russia being part of the Soviet Union, could show a communist view of the play.[4] The ban has sparked severe criticism from congressmen.[3] Even after the redemocratization in 1985, the 1976 version of the play was never shown on TV or released on home video in Brazil.[citation needed]
In 1985, during Brazil's military regime, the federal government banned
Redemocratization
1989
In 1989, the "Anti-racism law" was passed, the law bans promotion of “Nazi ideals” and the use of
1990s
In 1994, just a day before the premiere of the British documentary
The song "Luís Inácio (300 Picaretas)" by rock band
In 1997, a law forbidden "to use trickery, montage, or other audio or video feature that, in any way, degrade or ridicule a candidate, party or coalition, or to produce or display program with that purpose" three months before a political election was created.[10] In 2010, this law was questioned by Brazilian Association of Radio and TV and humorists and Supreme Federal Court (STF) suspended its effect.[11]
2000s
In 2003, when Senator Eduardo Azeredo of the
In 2005, the rock band Bidê ou Balde faced legal problems after the release of their song "E Por Que Não?" (And Why Not?) on the MTV Brasil special album Acústico MTV Bandas Gaúchas (MTV Acoustic Gaúcha Bands). The song was seen by some as encouraging incest and pedophilia. After several lawsuits from women's and children's right organizations, MTV felt pressured to re-release the album without the track and to stop showing its music video.[13][14] The lyrics of the song, however, can still be found on the Internet.[15]
In February 2007, two court cases were settled when an agreement was reached that all copies of the book Roberto Carlos em Detalhes, an unauthorized biography of singer Roberto Carlos by journalist Paulo César de Araújo, would be repurchased from bookstores.[16] The singer's attempt to censor the book proved to be a failure, since copies can be easily found on the Internet.[17]
On 18 January 2008, a court order prohibited the sale of the games Counter-Strike and EverQuest in Brazil, arguing that they were extremely violent.[18] The move has been described by media as a publicity stunt on the regulation of video game violence and sexually explicit content, and also as a hasty decision that ignored much more violent games. As all versions of Counter-Strike were very popular in Brazil at the time, the decision was met with considerable uproar by the Brazilian gaming community. The game's developer Valve did not comment on the episode. However, on 18 June 2009, a regional federal court order lifting the ban of Counter-Strike was published.[19]
On 22 September 2008, Minas Gerais
On 30 July 2009, Fernando Sarney, son of former President and Senator
2010s
In April 2010, Google reported that Brazil was the country with most requests from its government to take down content.[25] In June 2010, Brazilian Election Justice through Superior Electoral Court requested Google to remove two blogs: "amigosdopresidentelula.blogspot.com" and "euqueroserra.blogspot.com", which were deemed as political propaganda for Dilma Rousseff and José Serra respectively.[26][27]
On 9 August 2011, the Federal Justice of Minas Gerais blocked the distribution of A Serbian Film, a 2010 Serbian horror film, in Brazil. This was the first time a movie was banned in Brazil since the promulgation of the 1988 Constitution.[28] As of 2012 this decision has been overturned and the film given a "not recommended for those under the age of 18, due to depictions of sex, pedophilia, violence and cruelty" rating.[29][30]
In September 2012, an elections court in Brazil ordered the arrest of Fábio José Silva Coelho, Google's most senior executive in the country, after the company failed to take down YouTube videos attacking a local mayoral candidate. The stringent 1965 Electoral Code bans campaign ads that “offend the dignity or decorum” of a candidate. Google is appealing the order, which comes after a similar decision by another Brazilian elections judge. In that case, the judge found a different senior executive responsible for violating local election law after the company refused to take down a YouTube video mocking a mayoral candidate. That decision was overturned by another judge who wrote that “Google is not the intellectual author of the video, it did not post the file, and for that reason it cannot be punished for its propagation.” Google also defended users’ political rights saying "that voters have a right to use the Internet to freely express their opinions about candidates for political office, as a form of full exercise of democracy, especially during electoral campaigns”.[31]
In 2016, Federal Deputy for São Paulo Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of Deputy Jair Bolsonaro, introduced a bill to amend the "Anti-racism law" to also ban promotion of Communist ideals and the use of Communist symbols, and to also ban fomentation of conflict between social classes.[32]
2020s
During the Bolsonaro administration, cases of political censorship in Brazil intensified, with some lawsuits being filed against journalists and news outlets by government representatives or associates of the president.[33][34]
In November 2021, then 84 years old Brazilian movie director Reynaldo Paes de Barros, most known for directing photography for a movie adaptation of the novel Menino de engenho,[35] was convicted of racism for the screening of his short film Matem... Os Outros!, following protests from Indigenous people's rights activists. The film portrays a group of Brazilian southerners travelling together while speaking racist rhetoric against the indigenous peoples of Brazil. Paes de Barros was fined and sentenced to two years in prison, converted into community service.[36] The MPF (Public Prosecutor's Office) has objected to the decision, arguing the filmmaker's penalty should be much higher.[37][38]
In recent years, the
In February 2022, the
In November 2022, a
In May 2023, the
Also in May 2023, the
In 2024, the Brazilian Supreme Court ordered the
In 2024, messages between Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes and his assistants were leaked. Among the leaked messages are references to ordering thugs to kidnap a political refugee in America and illicit use of electoral justice[58]
Freedom of speech and the press
Brazilian law enforces freedom of speech and press, and the authorities generally respect these rights in practice. The independent media are active and express a wide variety of views with no restriction, but nongovernmental criminal elements continue to subject journalists to violence because of their professional activities. A growing number of cases of judicial censorship of the media pose a serious threat to press freedom.[59] Brazilian law states that "material deemed offensive to a certain party may be removed if said party enters judicial action". However, this is sometimes exploited by companies and government officials, whom the law sometimes favors.
The National Association of Newspapers (ANJ) reports cases of imprisonment, aggression, censorship, and failure to respect freedom of the press. Between 1 January and 26 July 2011, the ANJ reported 23 cases of censorship, threats, direct violence against journalists, and other forms of pressure against news organizations and professionals, including three killings, one imprisonment, six cases of censorship, and nine instances of verbal assault and physical battery,[59] though those were reportedly not practised by the Brazilian government, but by criminal organizations.
In 2010, there were already complaints about the growth of press censorship in Brazil, via the Judiciary "The Brazilian electoral legislation is favoring censorship into the journalism practice", was the assessment of those who participated in the panel "Freedom of Speech and democratic state" during a forum in the São Paulo city[60] Journalist and columnist Reinaldo Azevedo of Veja magazine; television comedian Marcelo Madureira from sketch show Casseta & Planeta; and professor of ethics and political philosophy Roberto Romano participated in the debate.[60] Azevedo said that the legislation affect mainly the internet and television. "Television, especially, is obliged to give the same space to people who has something to tell, and who hasn't nothing to say."[60] Romano wrote that court decisions also undermine freedom of expression. "There is a movement not only in Brazil, but internationally, to control the power of the state, through the Judiciary". Romano cited a case of censorship to the newspaper "O Estado de S. Paulo" as an example.[60] According to Madureira, comedians are extremely hurt with the Brazilian electoral legislation.[60]
In 2019, Supreme Court Minister
Internet freedom
There are no government restrictions on access to the Internet or credible reports that the government monitors e-mail or Internet chat rooms. Individuals and groups can engage in the expression of views via the Internet, including by e‑mail. A continuing trend is for private individuals and official bodies to take legal action against Internet service providers and providers of online social media platforms, such as Google, Facebook, and Orkut, holding them accountable for content posted to or provided by users of the platform. Judicial rulings often result in the forced removal of content from the Internet.[59]
Brazil is not individually classified by the OpenNet Initiative (ONI), but is included in the ONI regional overview for Latin America.[62]
Brazilian legislation restricts the freedom of expression (Paim Law[citation needed]), directed especially to publications considered racist (such as neo-nazi sites). The Brazilian Constitution also prohibits anonymity of journalists.[2]
In March 2009, Chamber President Michel Temer ordered TV Câmara to remove a video of a debate from its website in which CartaCapital journalist Leandro Fortes criticized Gilmar Mendes' tenure as Court President.[63] Many viewed this as political censorship and the video was soon posted on YouTube.[64] After being denounced for censorship by the country's main bodies representing journalists, TV Câmara has uploaded the debate back to its website.[63]
In September 2012, an elections court in Brazil ordered the arrest of Google's most senior executive in the country, after the company failed to take down YouTube videos attacking a local mayoral candidate. The stringent 1965 Electoral Code bans campaign ads that “offend the dignity or decorum” of a candidate, although critic is, notably, permitted. Google is appealing the order, which might be decided after a similar decision by another Brazilian elections judge. In that case, the judge found a different senior executive responsible for violating local election law after the company refused to take down a YouTube video mocking a mayoral candidate. That decision was overturned by another judge who wrote that “Google is not the intellectual author of the video, it did not post the file, and for that reason it cannot be punished for its propagation.”[31]
In November 2022, Brazil's Supreme Elections Court ordered the suspension of the Twitter accounts of two far-right congressmen, Nikolas Ferreira and Marcos Cintra, for demanding explanations from the court for supposed voting fraud in that year's elections.[65][66]
In August 2024, the Brazilian Supreme Court ordered the
Self-censorship
Rede Globo
According to
Rede Record
See also
- Brazilian advisory rating system – a Brazilian rating organization for media
- National Truth Commission
- Criticism of Rede Globo
- List of films banned in Brazil
References
- ISBN 9788587478290.
- ^ a b "Title II, Chapter I, Article 5 of the Constitution of Brazil states in part that "IV – the expression of thought is free, anonymity being forbidden" and "XIV – access to information is ensured to everyone and the confidentiality of the source shall be safeguarded, whenever necessary to the professional activity".
- ^ a b Pinheiro Machado, Ivan (8 February 2011). "O Ballet proibido". Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "Os exageros da censura: o balé na TV". Memórias da Ditadura (in Portuguese). Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ Schneider, Greice (17 May 2006), "TOP 10: Filmes para assistir depois de O Código Da Vinci" Archived 1 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine, A Tarde.
- ^ Folha Online (19 October 2009)
- ^ Hail Mary in Brazilian on-line shop Submarino.com.br
- ^ Muniz, Diógenes. "Após 16 anos, Record compra documentário "Muito Além do Cidadão Kane" – 20/08/2009 – Ilustrada". Folha de S.Paulo. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
- ^ Excerpt of the book Os Paralamas do Sucesso: Vamo Batê Lata by Jamari França on Google Books.
- ^ William, Fábio (27 August 2010). "STF libera sátira sobre políticos no período eleitoral" (in Portuguese). Globo.com. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- ^ Zampier, Débora (2 September 2010). "STF libera sátiras e críticas a candidatos no rádio e na TV" (in Portuguese). Agência Brasil. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- ^ "CartaCapital – Jornalismo crítico e transparente. Notícias sobre política, economia e sociedade com olhar progressista".
- ^ "ONGs acusam banda Bidê ou Balde de "incentivar o incesto"". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 23 July 2005. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ "Para a 7ª Câmara Cível do TJ/RS, música "E por que não?", da banda "Bidê ou Balde", estimula pedofilia". Migalhas (in Brazilian Portuguese). 12 December 2005. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
- ^ E Por Que Não? by Bidê ou Balde's lyrics on Letras.mus (in Portuguese).
- ^ Araújo, Patrícia (27 April 2007). "Editora aceita recolher livro de Roberto Carlos, que desiste de indenização" (Publisher accepts collect book by Roberto Carlos, who gives up compensation), Globo.com. (English translation)
- ^ Roberto Carlos em Detalhes (Roberto Carlos Details) Archived 26 October 2012 at the Wayback Machine, Paulo Cesar de Araújo, Editora Planeta, 2006, on Scribd.
- ^ "Electronic Arts suspende a venda de 'Counter-Strike' no Brasil" (Electronic Arts suspends sale of 'Counter-Strike' in Brazil), Globo.com, 22 January 2008. (English translation)
- ^ "Justiça libera venda do game 'Counter-Strike' no Brasil" (Justice releases the game 'Counter-Strike' for sale in Brazil), Globo.com, 18 June 2009. (English translation)
- ^ "Gagged in Brazil – Censura na Imprensa", 8:37 video available on YouTube, 20 May 2008, retrieved 24 June 2013
- ^ "Brazil: Attempts to censor a documentary about censorship", Paula Góes, Global Voices Advocacy, 20 November 2008.
- ^ Recondo, Felipe (31 July 2009). "Justiça censura Estado e proíbe informações sobre Sarney", O Estado de S. Paulo.
- ^ Notícias STF. "Arquivada ação do jornal O Estado de S. Paulo contra proibição de veicular matérias sobre Fernando Sarney" Archived 14 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Comunique-se (12 December 2009). "Para RSF, manutenção de censura é “incompreensível” e “perigosa”" Archived 25 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Lardinois, Frederic (20 April 2010). "Google Launches New Tool to Highlight Government Data and Removal Requests It Receives". ReadWrite. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- ^ "MPE entra com ação no TSE contra Google por blog pró-Dilma" (in Portuguese). R7. 6 July 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- ^ "Justiça Eleitoral manda Google informar quem são os responsáveis por blog pró-Serra" (in Portuguese). R7. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 27 November 2014.
- ^ "'A Serbian Film': Lançamento no país é proibido novamente" ('A Serbian Film': Release in the country is banned again), Cine Pop, 8 September 2011. (English translation)
- ^ "'A Serbian Film' é liberado em todo Brasil, menos no Rio de Janeiro". 5 August 2011.
- ^ "Quase um ano depois, A Serbian Film é liberado em todo o Brasil".
- ^ a b "Top Google Executive in Brazil Faces Arrest Over Video", New York Times (Reuters), 25 September 2012
- ^ Nobre, Noéli (24 July 2017). "Projeto criminaliza apologia ao comunismo" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Chamber of Deputies of Brazil. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- ^ "Censorship Cases in the Bolsonaro Government Multiply". Folha de S.Paulo. 25 May 2022. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Brazil quarterly analysis: media face censorship on multiple fronts | RSF". rsf.org. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Aos 84 anos, Reynaldo Paes de Barros relembra como criou as imagens do clássico "Menino de Engenho"".
- ^ "Cineasta pega 2 anos de prisão e multa por incitar preconceito contra indígenas". Campo Grande News (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Cineasta que produziu filme com discurso de ódio contra população indígena é condenado por racismo".
- ^ "Cineasta que produziu filme com discurso de ódio contra indígenas é condenado por racismo". 26 November 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Brazil electoral court could ban Telegram app for not fighting fake news". Reuters. 20 January 2022. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
- ^ "Telegram suspende contas após decisão do STF". 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- CNN Brazil. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- ^ "Telegram pode ser bloqueado por 48h no Brasil: entenda polêmicas envolvendo o aplicativo" (in Brazilian Portuguese). G1. 26 February 2022. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- ^ "Alexandre manda prender e extraditar blogueiro Allan dos Santos do Terça Livre" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Istoé. 21 October 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- ^ "Site bolsonarista Terça Livre encerrou suas atividades, diz fundador" (in Brazilian Portuguese). Poder360. 23 October 2021. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- ^ "Brazil's supreme court suspends Telegram messaging app in the country". Reuters. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ Clark, Mitchell (18 March 2022). "Telegram forgot to check its email and now it's banned in Brazil". The Verge. Retrieved 18 March 2022.
- ^ Clark, Mitchell (20 March 2022). "Telegram's ban in Brazil has been lifted". The Verge. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
- ^ "Redes sociais se unem contra censura do STF contra o PCO; caso ainda voltará à pauta". Gazeta do Povo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ "Moraes manda PF ouvir diretores do Google, Meta e Spotify no Brasil". Correio Braziliense (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2 May 2023. Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- CNN Brazil(in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ "STF determina remoção de anúncios com ataques ao PL das Fake News". portal.stf.jus.br (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 12 May 2023.
- ^ Garcia, Raphael Tsavkko. "A Brazilian 'Ministry of Truth' is in the making". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ "MPF e MP de São Paulo investigarão o 'Simulador de Escravidão'". CartaCapital (in Brazilian Portuguese). 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "Google tira do ar jogo 'Simulador de Escravidão', que permitia castigar e torturar pessoas negras". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 24 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ "The Reason Brazil is Blocking Elon Musk's X/Twitter". 31 August 2024.
- ^ https://www.jusbrasil.com.br/artigos/inciso-ix-liberdade-de-expressao/2113287504
- ^ "Moraes usou TSE fora do rito para investigar bolsonaristas no Supremo, revelam mensagens". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 13 August 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
- ^ a b c "Brazil", Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2011, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, U.S. Department of State, 2011. The article includes text from the report, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b c d e "Electoral law favors censorship of the press, analysts say". G1 (in Portuguese). 1 March 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ "Censored Magazine Says It Was Fined US$26k by Supreme Court". Folha. 16 April 2019. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "ONI: Regional Overview: Latin America", OpenNet Initiative
- ^ a b Fortes, Leandro. "O fim da Idade Mendes" Archived 29 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Observatório da Imprensa. 23 April 2010.
- ^ "A Entrevista Censurada Pelo Ministro Gilmar Mendes – parte I" (Interview Censored by the Minister Gilmar Mendes – Part I), video on YouTube (8:17), 19 March 2009. (English translation of text)
- ^ ""Censura": Leia as reações à suspensão das redes de Nikolas". 5 November 2022.
- ^ "Twitter censura Marcos Cintra por fazer perguntas sobre urnas". 6 November 2022.
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ Roth, Emma (30 August 2024). "Judge orders X ban in Brazil". The Verge. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
- ^ "Bloqueio do X: Moraes recua da retirada de VPNs do Brasil, mas mantém multa de R$ 50 mil por acesso à rede de Elon Musk". BBC News Brasil (in Portuguese). 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.