BRASILIA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz

Inacio Lula da Silva said on Thursday that social media company

Meta's decision to scrap its fact-checking program in

the U.S. was "extremely serious," and that he would discuss the

matter in a meeting with government officials.

"I'm going to have a meeting today to discuss the Meta

issue," the leftist leader told reporters in Brasilia.

"I think it's extremely serious that people want digital

communication to not have the same responsibility as someone who

commits a crime in the written press."

Meta said on Tuesday it would change its fact-checking program

in the U.S., leading Brazilian prosecutors to demand that it

clarify whether the changes would also apply to the South

American country.

Meta, which declined to comment through its office in

Brazil, was given 30 days to provide a response, a document seen

by Reuters showed.

The prosecutors said the order for further details was

related to an ongoing probe of the actions taken by social media

platforms to combat misinformation and violence online in

Brazil.

Brazilian Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who led the Supreme

Court decision that temporarily suspended social media platform

X in the country last year, stressed on Wednesday that tech

firms must comply with local laws to operate in Brazil.