Brazilian Supreme Federal Court (STF) justices used the 14th Forum of Lisbon on June 1 to make digital platforms the central target of their speeches, arguing that constitutional law must respond to what they called the excessive power of Big Tech companies. The remarks came as Brazil's top court prepares to revisit platform-liability rules.
Mendes: 'Technofeudalism'
Gilmar Mendes, the court's longest-serving justice and founder of the Brazilian Institute for Education, Development and Research (IDP), which helps organize the event, said constitutionalism should open a new front against "the new lords of the land." CNN Brasil reported that he described the current digital economy as "technofeudalism," in which citizens become "digital serfs" and companies pay to operate inside platforms controlled by large technology firms. He argued that digital networks now have direct effects on democracy, sovereignty and public safety.
Moraes: International Rules and the Limits of Speech
Justice Alexandre de Moraes renewed his call for international rules on big technology companies, arguing that social networks and artificial intelligence have become too powerful to remain largely self-regulated. Speaking on a panel about democracy, populism and ideological polarization, Moraes said governments have a duty to regulate digital platforms while preserving freedom of expression and press freedom, framing the issue as a democratic challenge rather than a purely market question. He cited Pope Leo XIV in support of global rules on big tech.
Moraes also warned that the criminal misuse of what he called a "pseudo freedom of expression" could end up destroying both democracy and free speech, arguing that platforms cannot remain a "no man's land," especially when they affect children, elections, democratic institutions and the circulation of information. He said digital platforms were once presented as a way to expand democratic participation, but that their business models now rely on engagement that can amplify harm.
The two justices' joint emphasis revived a debate already reshaping Brazil's courts and Congress over how far the state should go in overseeing social media and AI.
A Forum Under Scrutiny
The event, formally the Forum Juridico de Lisboa and nicknamed "Gilmarpalooza" in the Brazilian press, brings together members of Brazil's judiciary, executive and legislative branches alongside academics, lawyers and policy specialists. This year's stated theme was "New International Order, Technology and Sovereignty." The opening drew a thinner turnout of senior Brazilian officials and business figures than in previous editions, even as the justices used the platform to press one of the most consequential legal debates facing the country.