Brazil's Lula moves to criminalize Covid misinformation as Bolsonaro allies spread false claims

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva announced plans to make the deliberate spread of health misinformation a crime, saying false claims about Covid-19 vaccines and treatments endanger public safety. He said the measure will be discussed with the Health Minister and the Attorney General and stressed that freedom of expression does not cover lies that discourage vaccination.

Bolsonaro supporters, notably federal deputy Nikolas Ferreira, have been posting videos that distort former U.S. health official Anthony Fauci's recent Senate testimony, claiming the scientist hid vaccine side‑effects and promoted ineffective treatments. Ferreira's posts have amassed tens of millions of views and repeat unverified allegations about Fauci and the use of fetal cells in vaccines.

In parallel, Globo actor Guito Show (also known as Guito Show) has reignited controversy by calling Covid‑19 a “farsa” and criticizing mandatory vaccination for school enrollment, prompting backlash from health experts who reaffirm the pandemic’s severity and the effectiveness of vaccines.

The combined surge of anti‑vaccine rhetoric from political figures and media personalities has prompted the Lula administration to consider stricter legal tools to curb digital health disinformation in Brazil.