Erika Hilton, a Black trans member of Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies, has asked the U.N. to investigate Mark Zuckerberg’s revelation that Meta will end fact-checking and allow anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech to go unchecked on its platforms, which include Facebook and Instagram.

“Policy changes by large corporations like Meta continue to put the lives of LGBTQIA+ individuals at risk,” Hilton wrote in a document sent to Nicolas Levrat, the U.N.’s special rapporteur on minority issues, as reported by InfoMoney.

Related

The number of companies committed to LGBTQ+ inclusion is growing
HRC’s 2025 Corporate Equality Index reported an overall positive trend despite some major companies rolling back their DEI policies

She added that Meta’s new policies “can be considered complicit in the dissemination of practices that violate the rights of groups protected by Brazilian legislation.”

Global perspectives delivered right to your inbox

Our newsletter bridges borders to bring you LGBTQ+ news from around the world.
Subscribe to our Newsletter today

Hilton – one of the first trans people elected to Brazil’s Congress, along with Duda Salabert the same year – also pointed out that the relaxed policies violate two U.N.-approved international treaties: the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of 1966 and the Declaration on the Rights of Persons Belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities of 1992.

“Immediate intervention is essential to protect the rights of affected communities and prevent further human rights abuses,” Hilton wrote.

Zuckerberg announced in a January 7 Facebook video that  he’ll be loosening restrictions on Meta’s fact-checking systems on Threads, Instagram, and Facebook, instead opting for a community-driven notes system. He told the press that he’s also planning to loosen content moderation policies, especially those around political topics.

“We’re going to get back to our roots and focus on reducing mistakes, simplifying our policies, and restoring free expression on our platforms,” Zuckerberg said in his announcement. “More specifically, here’s what we’re going to do. First, we’re going to get rid of fact-checkers and replace them with community notes similar to X, starting in the U.S.”

He criticized governments and “legacy media” for pushing “to censor more and more.” He said he was inspired by the 2024 presidential election. Zuckerberg has been making moves to meet with Donald Trump to discuss policy, and he has committed to donating $1 million to the president-elect’s inauguration fund.

Part of Meta’s new policies also include explicit permission to bully LGBTQ+ people on its platforms. New company guidelines state, “We do allow allegations of mental illness or abnormality when based on gender or sexual orientation, given political and religious discourse about transgenderism and homosexuality and common non-serious usage of words like ‘weird.'”

Hilton posted about her U.N. request on Instagram, where she emphasized the dire impact the policy will have on LGBTQ+ people.

“I cannot allow practices that violate fundamental rights to go unpunished,” she wrote, according to a translation by Google. “In Brazil, where transphobia and violence against LGBTQIA+ are already reaching alarming levels, corporate decisions like these put lives at risk and weaken the hard work for justice and equality. I will continue fighting for a safe and respectful digital environment for all people, for the sovereignty of Brazil and the regulation of social networks, against the right to commit crimes on the internet, as the extreme right wants. We will not back down!”

Hilton has made waves for her immense passion in fighting for the rights of marginalized people. The 32-year-old has spoken about wanting to make politics more appealing to young people and was named a Next Generation Leader by Time in 2022.

Subscribe to the LGBTQ Nation newsletter and be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.