The Portuguese court made it clear that a corporation’s brand prestige cannot be used as a shield to hide the reality of animal suffering. The decision is a victory for transparency over censorship. This paves the way for future legal advancements and ensures that animal advocacy groups can continue their role as societal watchdogs without fear of judicial silencing.
EUROGROUP FOR ANIMALS: In late 2024, Frente Animal launched a campaign featuring undercover footage from intensive chicken farms linked to the company Pingo Doce, a major retailer in Europe. The footage showed deformed chickens, unable to move, piled up among corpses and handled violently…
The company subsequently filed a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) demanding that all campaign content be removed, and for heavy fines to be imposed on the animal protection organisation…
The judges ruled that the right to freedom of expression also covers sharing information that might “shock” or “offend”, especially if relevant to public interest issues like animal welfare and food safety.
This was the first time farmed animal welfare and rights were extensively debated in a Portuguese court of law, with the investigation footage broadcast during public sessions. SOURCE
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