Brasil advances debates on information integrity and platform regulation at G20 side event

Paulo Pimenta, Minister of Secom/PR, had a series of meetings to discuss best practices regarding sponsored content on social media, combating misinformation, and digital platform regulation, aiming to promote integrity in the online environment.

The Minister of the Communications Secretariat of Brasil’s Presidency of the Republic (Secom/PR), Paulo Pimenta, took the opportunity during the debates of the G20 side event on information integrity, promoted by the Digital Economy working group this Tuesday (30 April) in São Paulo, to hold bilateral meetings on best practices for sponsored content on social media; actions to combat misinformation in the online environment; and measures for regulating digital platforms.

During the meetings, Paulo Pimenta emphasized President Lula's determination to build international partnerships to promote information integrity, citing challenges in combating misinformation in Brasil, including hate-driven violence on the internet. Pimenta exemplified the drop in vaccination coverage due to an anti-vaccine campaign.

Best practices in digital advertising

In the morning, Pimenta met with representatives from advertising companies to discuss the possibility of a joint agenda to promote information integrity in digital advertising actions. The minister expressed the desire to collaborate with these entities to promote best practices in both the public and private sectors and pursue an agnostic approach to technology focused on efficiency. He also called for more vigorous action from platforms to combat fraudulent and scam advertisements on social networks, particularly those exploiting federal government policies to capture citizens' attention.

According to Daniela Rios, director of ABA, "We are experiencing a sector increasingly united in the fight for the institutional defense of self-regulation and freedom of expression, banners that ABA leads as the sole representative of Brazilian advertisers. Participating in this front is a great opportunity for us to bring awareness to points about self-regulation in an educational, transparent, and responsible manner."

"In line with our mission to develop sustainable digital advertising, we make a point of bringing all parts of the digital advertising ecosystem to the table, including advertisers like SECOM. Part of this long-standing partnership between us, the IAB and the federal government, is materialized in our collaboration for the construction of the CGU's guide to good practices and, once again, we put ourselves at SECOM's disposal to offer training for the federal government's communication professionals. For us, it is of fundamental importance that public authorities communicate clearly, securely and transparently with the population," said Cristiane Carmargo, CEO of IAB Brasil.

Present in the conversation representing ABA - Brazilian Advertisers Association were: Daniela Rios, Director of the organization, serving as Sponsor of its Government Relations Committee and Director of Government Relations and Public Policy at P&G; Péricles d'Ávila Mendes Neto, Vice President of ABA's Legal Committee and Executive Director (LatAm), Global Public Policy at The Walt Disney Company; Elias de Lima, Vice President of ABA's Legal Committee and Senior Legal Director Brasil and Litigation & Legal Operations LATAM; and representing IAB Brasil, Cristiane Camargo, CEO, and Beatriz Falcão, from the entity's government relations.

Regulation models

With Elsa Pilichowski, Director of Public Governance at the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development), Pimenta discussed measures for regulating digital platforms and the opportunity for Brasil to play a leading role in this debate, with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ensuring that it takes place on a global level.

The conversation emphasized the importance of any measures adopted promoting a balance between holding platforms accountable for rights violations and ensuring freedom of expression. Another potential area for cooperation is collaborating with Brazilian universities to promote quality information about the impacts of climate change on people's lives.

Improving the online environment

Yunfeng Li, China’s undersecretary of Cyber Space Administration, in conversation with Pimenta, emphasized the country's efforts to enhance the internet environment, including establishing a reporting network for illegal online activities and raising awareness among users to safeguard their activities, especially minors. He mentioned recent regulations aimed at protecting youth from online vices, prejudice and bullying, among other issues.

The conversation with Melissa Fleming, Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications at the United Nations, underscored the importance of delivering accurate information and the role of the media in this process. Fleming referenced studies on misinformation and expressed high hopes that countries would collaborate to achieve a better online environment for information.

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