Cyberbullying is now a crime that can result in two to four years in prison.
A law in Brazil has determined that cyberbullying is a crime. The law focuses on the National Policy for the Prevention and Combat of Abuse and Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents.
Brazil sees cyberbullying as a crime
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the law that made cyberbullying a crime in Brazil. The official text for the law is on the Diário Oficial da União" website, which is used for communicating federal information.
Article 146-A of the law notes that bullying consists of systematic intimidation, while cyberbullying consists of virtual systematic intimidation.
What does the law say about bullying and cyberbullying?
According to the Diário Oficial da União website, bullying is defined as "Systematically intimidating, individually or in a group, through physical or psychological violence, one or more people, intentionally and repetitively, without evident motivation, through acts of intimidation, humiliation or discrimination, or verbal, moral, sexual, social, psychological, physical, material, or virtual actions."
If the conduct is not more serious, bullying will be penalized with a fine. Meanwhile, cyberbullying will have a sentence of two to four years. It could have a fine, if equally, the conduct does not constitute a more serious crime.
A crime of cyberbullying is when "the conduct is carried out through a computer network, social network, applications, online games, or through any other digital means or digital environment or shared in real time."
On X, João de Senzi, a lawyer for influencers, streamers, and YouTubers noted that the law "represents a significant step towards guaranteeing legal protection to those persecuted on the internet through systematic violence."
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