Public Note #31 – In support of influencer Felipe Neto

The Dom Paulo Evaristo Arns Commission for the Defense of Human Rights – the Arns Commission – goes public to express its support for the influencer Felipe Neto, who was subpoenaed by an incompetent police authority (Article 31 of Law 7,170/83) due to his use of the term "genocidal" in reference to the conduct of President Jair Bolsonaro amidst the pandemic, which is on the verge of reaching 300 thousand deaths in the country.

It draws the attention of the Arns Commission that this subpoena was made at the request of councilor Carlos Bolsonaro (from the Republicanos Party – RJ), son of the president, seeking to apply provisions of the National Security Law (Lei de Segurança Nacional – LSN, in Portuguese) that are incompatible with the 1988 Constitution. Therefore, once again the Bolsonaro family indicates its appreciation of authoritarian formulations and contempt for democracy.

The Arns Commission recalls that Felipe Neto, who is currently having his fundamental right of freedom of expression constrained, is precisely the influencer who has been denouncing the development of dangerous “bubbles” on the internet. These “filter bubbles”, according to him, are activated by agents of hate speech with the aim of spreading fraudulent news, slanderous denunciations, and serious threats – which are the subject of an ongoing investigation by the Federal Supreme Court (STF).

To Felipe Neto, for his bold leadership in front of tens of millions of young people in Brazil, we offer our solidarity and admiration.