BRASILIA- A Brazilian Senate committee has formally called representatives of Google, Facebook and Twitter to testify in an ongoing probe into the government's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the representatives of the firms would testify as witnesses, they could eventually come under investigation themselves.

The three firms did not have an immediate comment on the decision.

(Reporting by Ricardo Brito and Eduardo Simoes Writing by Ana Mano; Editing by Christian Plumb) ((ana.mano@thomsonreuters.com; Tel: +55-11-5644-7704; Mob: +55-119-4470-4529; Reuters Messaging: ana.mano.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))