“Social media haters have claimed another victim,” says star of tragedy that rocked the country this Saturday
A topic has become the most discussed this Saturday (12/23) in Brazil and has moved the country. A 22-year-old student from Minas Gerais, Jéssica Canedo, killed herself after being the victim of fake news broadcast on 12/18: according to which she was the new love story of comedian Whindersson Nunes. The news spread through the social networks of two gossip sites: “Garoto do Blog” and, above all, “Choquei” (the latter with 22 million followers).
Both Whindersson and Jéssica denied it (they didn’t even know each other and the girl from Minas Gerais didn’t even have a social network, they had simply taken a photo of themselves and linked it to the topic). But despite her request for the information to be removed, Choquei’s website did not remove it. Jessica already suffered from depression. Furthermore, her comments were aggressive and defamatory. Not even a request from the student’s mother – recalling that her daughter had attempted suicide four times – gave results. So, this Friday, the worst result arrived. Jessica took her own life. Thousands of people have posted about this tragedy. One of them was Neymar.
“Different gossip sites, television networks and all types of media must be very careful about what you publish or say. To the haters, you who spread hatred, those who know everything, the owners of the truth, the saints who do not err never CONGRATULATIONS. You have claimed another victim” The discussion on the Internet, about respect for others, does not exist. A real hatred for all these people who hide behind an internet profile to say bad things about someone else,” Neymar said.
Neymar and fake news
Star Neymar reminds that he himself is a constant target of fake news. Two days ago, in fact, he filed a lawsuit at the Court of Justice of Sao Paulo for defamation against the influencer Sophia Barclay. After all, she, who is trans, said in an interview that she had sex with Neymar and surfer Pedro Scooby during a party.
Internet outraged
The case had great repercussions. As soon as Jessica’s death was confirmed, Choquei took the false news out of the air. And the owner of the site, Raphael Souza, blocked his social networks. The manager of the Garoto do Blog site, which has 1 million followers, did the same.
Choquei’s law firm published an official statement on the site this Saturday afternoon. In it he said that “The Choquei profile (@choquei), through its legal advice, comes to clarify to its followers and friends that there was no irregularity in the disclosure”, we read which increased the indignation of Internet users. In fact, the law firm has also become the target of criticism on social media. Hours later, the office’s lead attorney (formerly of BBB Adélia Soares) said she would dismiss the case.
Political case
As expected, Jéssica’s death became a political issue. The situation (PT laws and grassroots parties) aims to accelerate the regulation of digital platforms (PL 1620, Fake News Law), an issue blocked in Congress. But the opposition (read Liberal Party) claims that Choquei is extremely linked to the PT and that the government will do everything to alleviate the site’s responsibility.
Source: Terra
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
