Sall association sues ERC over media campaign fines

The Sall – Associação de Defesa da Liberdade has filed a lawsuit in the Lisbon Administrative Court against the Entidade Reguladora para a Comunicação Social (ERC). The legal action seeks to challenge what the association describes as an “imposition of limits on freedom of expression.”

The dispute stems from an ERC decision to open administrative proceedings against TVI and Medialivre (CMTV and Now) regarding the broadcast of the “Obrigado Mãe” campaign during advertising slots. The ERC characterized the content as potentially having a “negative influence on children and adolescents” and introducing “elements of social censorship.” The potential fines for the broadcasters range from 20,000 to 150,000 euros.

Sall argues that political, moral, and public interest discourse is afforded reinforced protection under the Portuguese Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights. The association also claims the ERC is acting inconsistently with past decisions, citing a 2007 case where an advertisement promoting abortion liberalization was not deemed unlawful.