Global South Adrift: Digital Regulation in the European Union and Brazil

Abstract

This article aims to analyze Internet governance systems in the Global North and South, addressing public policies to guarantee digital sovereignty through legal provisions to combat disinformation and hate speech. We investigated the points of convergence and divergence in the regulatory systems for digital platforms in the European Union and Brazil. The methodology prioritizes documentary analysis, examining legislation in the European Union, mainly the Digital Services Act, and in Brazil, notably Bill 2630/2020. In a comparative approach, the study presents results on the convergent and divergent aspects of these regulatory frameworks, emphasizing policies relating to content moderation, transparency, and the accountability of platforms in the dissemination of extremist, negative, and illegal content. The regulatory frameworks reveal tensions between self-regulation, non-interventive regulation, and digital deregulation. We found indicators that political and financial groups have captured and exploited social networks driven by the business model of technology conglomerates. The fight against disinformation requires changes in the economic architecture of the so-called big techs and the consolidation of advanced legislation, especially in the Global South. This region is a cradle of resistance to modern colonialism, which lacks digital governance capable of strengthening the integrity of information and promoting an online network that is effectively democratic, sovereign, and respectful of human rights.