بعد وفاة مراهقة في بث مباشر.. البرازيل تتحرك لتشديد الرقابة على المنصات

First Lady of Brazil, Rosângela "Ganga" da Silva, has called for immediate action against digital platforms following a tragic incident that sparked widespread controversy in the country after the death of a 13-year-old girl following her participation in a live streaming session on the "Discord" platform.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's wife stated that what happened reveals the need for stricter measures to protect children and adolescents from violent and dangerous content on digital platforms, urging that the issue should not be treated as just a separate incident.

Ganga's statements came in conjunction with Brazilian authorities' actions against "Discord," after the country's data protection agency ordered the platform to suspend its live streaming feature, following an investigation into the girl's death, during which she was reportedly encouraged to harm herself during a session on the platform.

The incident has raised growing concerns in Brazil about the ability of digital platforms to monitor content targeting minors, particularly materials that include incitement to violence or self-harm or the exploitation of children and adolescents.

According to investigations reported by the newspaper "El País," Brazilian authorities have detained five minors and one adult in connection with the case, while investigations revealed organized online activity involving violent and extremist content.

Ganga defended the actions taken against "Discord," considering that protecting children and at-risk groups requires government intervention when platforms fail to prevent the spread of dangerous content. The Brazilian data protection agency had given the platform a deadline to implement the decision to suspend live streaming.

These developments come at a time when President Lula da Silva's government is intensifying efforts to regulate the operations of technology companies and social media platforms in Brazil, especially regarding child protection and combating digital violence and illegal content.

Brazil has taken stricter steps in recent years towards digital platforms, including a temporary ban on the "X" platform in 2024 under a court ruling, in one of the most notable confrontations between Brazilian authorities and major tech companies.

The "Discord" case reignites the debate in Brazil about the limits of platforms' responsibility for the content published by their users, and how to balance protecting users, especially minors, with maintaining freedom of expression and communication online.