Porto Alegre debates bill to combat digital misogyny

The Porto Alegre City Council has begun debating a new bill aimed at preventing and combating digital misogyny and online hate speech. Proposed by Councilwoman Karen Santos, the initiative seeks to establish guidelines for the municipal government to actively address online harassment, silencing, and virtual aggression directed at women and girls.

The proposal includes mandates for permanent awareness campaigns on official municipal websites and social media, as well as within public institutions and schools. In the educational sector, the bill suggests pedagogical activities to help students identify hate speech, promote safe digital platform usage, and foster respect and gender equity. The author cited the rise of extremist virtual communities, such as incel and red pill movements, as a primary reason for the bill's urgency.