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New government measures strengthen protection for women online
Last Wednesday (May 20), Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a decree aimed at strengthening the protection of women in the digital environment. The decree outlines the obligations of digital platforms regarding crimes of violence against women online and establishes tools to prevent and combat online violence.
Lula also signed four laws aimed at expanding protections for women and strengthening mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable. The new rules:
• create the National Registry of Offenders;
• expand the circumstances under which an abuser can be immediately removed from contact with the victim;
• tighten measures against criminals who continue to threaten women even after arrest; and
• reduce red tape to speed up the enforcement of protective measures and court orders.
The signing took place during a ceremony at the Planalto presidential palace to mark the 100th day of Brazil’s national pact against femicide, launched in February by the federal government, the National Congress, and the judiciary.
Lula argued for the inclusion of misogyny and combating violence against women in school curricula, as well as initiatives that promote a cultural shift in gender relations. In Brazil, approximately 70 percent of cases of violence against women occur within the home.
“Men haven’t realized that jealousy is one of the most violent diseases we have [...]. There are people who are so jealous they won’t let their wives have a beer with friends after work, go to a soccer game, or go alone to a concert or the theater. This needs to be addressed,” said the president. “How are we going to overcome this problem if not through education?” he added.
National pact
The national pact against femicide calls for coordinated and ongoing action among the three branches of government. It also recognizes that violence against women in the country constitutes a structural crisis that cannot be addressed through isolated measures.
“What we are demonstrating here is that silence and inaction do not help. What we are realizing here is that when the state shows it is fulfilling its obligations, people begin to have confidence,” said the president.
He went on to emphasize that the problem does not only concern the woman or girl who is a victim, but the entire community. “Everyone should feel violated when a 12-year-old girl is violated,” he argued.
Violence online
The decree on the protection of women in the digital environment establishes mechanisms to ensure that platforms fulfill their duty to prevent gender-based violence and act swiftly to address such situations.
From now on, companies must take action to curb the spread of crimes, fraud, and violence within their ecosystems and reduce any harm caused to victims, especially in situations involving the non-consensual exposure of nude images – even if created by artificial intelligence – of girls and women, as well as threats, stalking, and coordinated harassment.
The decree also requires platforms to maintain a specific, permanent, and easily accessible channel for reporting intimate content shared without consent, with a requirement to remove the material within two hours of notification.
In addition, companies must preserve evidence and information necessary for investigating and holding perpetrators accountable.
The prohibition on the use of artificial intelligence to produce fake or sexualized intimate images of women is now included in the scope of preventive measures required of platforms. The move aims to address the rise of sexual deepfakes, which have also been made a crime by Congress.
