Brazilian news organization núCleo has recently obtained government documents containing surprising revelations. The documents revealed that lawyers representing the company META* (formerly known as Facebook) made attempts to tarnish the reputation of researchers from the Netlab Laboratory (Netlab) at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.
Netlab’s research focused on advertising practices on the META* platform, which ultimately led to the National Secretariat of the Protection of Consumer Rights of Brazil (Senacon) imposing a hefty fine of $1.7 million (9.3 million Brazilian reais) on the company in 2023. However, META* is currently appealing this decision. Notably, META* has faced scrutiny in the past, particularly following the Cambridge Analytica scandal.
*It is important to mention that Meta and its products are considered extremist, leading to their activities being prohibited in the Russian Federation.