On Thursday (17), President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced that Brazil will impose taxes on US-based Big Tech companies—the giants that control digital platforms. "This country is only sovereign because the Brazilian people take pride in it. And I want to say that we will judge and tax American digital companies," he stated, referencing arguments made by US President Donald Trump to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian products exported to the US.
Experts consulted by Agência Brasil believe that pressure from these companies against sector regulation in Brazil influenced Trump's decision to apply the tariffs. In a letter sent to the Brazilian government, Trump cited "Brazil’s continued attacks on the digital commercial activities of American companies" and alleged "censorship" against US social media platforms, "threatening them with multi-million-dollar fines and expulsion from the Brazilian social media market."
During a speech at the National Union of Students (UNE) congress in Goiânia, Lula stated that he would not allow "our children to fall victim to things beyond our control." "We do not accept that, in the name of freedom of expression, [digital platforms] are used to spread aggression, lies, [promote] hatred among children, violence against women, violence against Black people, against the LGBTQIA+ community—in short, all kinds of violence," he argued.
In Brazil, there is an ongoing debate about platforms' responsibility for criminal content circulating online, ranging from pedophilia and incitement to school violence to calls for coups d'état. The Federal Supreme Court (STF) recently ruled that platforms must be held directly accountable for illegal posts made by their users.
On the 9th of this month, President Trump sent a letter to Lula announcing a 50% tariff on all Brazilian exports to the US, effective August 1. In the document, Trump also justified the measure by citing former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is currently a defendant in an STF case for attempting a coup. Trump called for Bolsonaro’s amnesty.
Lula defended Brazil’s sovereignty and stated that the US tariff hike would be met with the Economic Reciprocity Law, recently enacted by the federal government. Additionally, Brazil has formed a committee to discuss taxation with the productive sector and seek negotiations with US authorities.
The president emphasized that Brazil had already been engaging in dialogue due to initial taxation measures and was awaiting a response from US representatives before the new tariffs were announced. "On May 16, we sent a letter to the US team outlining potential agreements. We received no response," he revealed.
Today, Lula advocated for negotiation, stating that Brazil would respond in the most civilized manner possible but would not tolerate foreign interference in domestic affairs. "I am very calm. I’m a ‘truco’ player; when someone raises the stakes, you have to choose: either I fold or I raise the bet. So, I’m in the game," he said, vowing to fight for Brazil’s respect.
"Brazil favors negotiation, respects dialogue. Brazil has no disputes with any country in the world. But a man born in Caetés [PE], who arrived in São Paulo at age seven, ate bread for the first time at seven, survived being raised by a mother with eight children, and became president of the Republic—no foreigner is going to give orders to this president," .