BRASILIA (Reuters) -Brazil’s Supreme Court formed a majority on Wednesday to hold social media companies accountable for some types of content published by users on their platforms in the country.
Six of the 11 judges from the Supreme Court voted to hold platforms responsible for third-party content seen as illegal, in a decision that could facilitate potential fines against social media companies for not removing some users’ posts in the country.
Only one justice so far voted to not change the current law on the matter, which says that the companies can only be found responsible for third-party content on their platforms if the firms do not comply with a legal decision ordering the content removal.
Although a majority has been formed, the justices did not agree on the scope of the decision, such as what types of content would be considered illegal. The court’s president, Luis Roberto Barroso, said he will work with the court members to find a consensus.
There are still four judges to vote in the trial, which has been rolling over for months. Votes previously cast can still be changed, although that is not common.
(Reporting by Ricardo Brito; Writing by Andre Romani; Editing by Gabriel Araujo and Kylie Madry)
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