Facebook removes pages and accounts in Brazil
On July 25 Facebook removed 196 pages and 87 profile accounts from its platform, most of them linked to MBL (Free Brasil Movement), a group that gained visibility after leading protests that resulted in the impeachment of former President Dilma Roussef. According to the company, the initiative was interconnected. It reached around 500 thousand followers and hid from the public the nature and origin of its content with the purpose of generating division and spreading disinformation. The movement contests the legality of the removal. They argue that the resources were used to inform and disseminate conservative and liberal ideas, and accuses Facebook of censorship. Federal Prosecutors in Brazil have requested Facebook to provide a list of the excluded resources, along with the justification and reasons for the removal.
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