Senate Panel Approves Press Liability Shield for Interviewee Accusations

Overview

• Brazil’s Senate Constitution and Justice Committee approved a constitutional amendment that would bar civil lawsuits against news outlets for allegations made by interviewees.
• The text says a publisher would not face damages if it runs an interview that accuses someone of an illicit act, as long as the outlet does not state its own opinion.
• Relator Oriovisto Guimarães argued the change is needed to protect press freedom and to avoid a chilling effect on reporting.
• The proposal now heads to the Senate floor for two rounds of voting, and if it passes, it goes to the Chamber of Deputies for the same two-step process required to amend the Constitution.
• The measure responds to Supreme Court rulings that first allowed such suits in 2023 and then limited them in 2025 to cases showing bad faith or clear negligence, which critics say still leaves people harmed by false claims seeking redress in court.