Misinformation on rise in Brazil
Brazilian voters are being bombarded by online misinformation days before they pick their next leader.
People on social media say, wrongly, that the leftist candidate in Brazil’s presidential election plans to close down churches if elected. There are lies that Luiz Ina´cio Lula da Silva wants to let men use public-school toilets next to little girls. And they’re falsely alleging that right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro has made comments confessing to cannibalism and pedophilia.
Baseless and politically motivated rumours are whipping through social media in Latin America’s largest democracy, stirring up Brazilian politics. The onslaught of fake rumours helped prompt Brazil last week to enact what some experts call the strictest limits on speech in the country’s young democracy.
It’s a conundrum posed by social media across the world, especially in countries wrangling with the intersection between modern technology and free speech. Brazil has adopted a heavy-handed approach. Experts say that in doing so, authorities have raised questions about the country’s commitment to free speech.
“What is happening in Brazil, on Facebook, on YouTube and other platforms looks awfully similar to what was happening in the US around the 2020 election,” said Vicky Wyatt, a campaign director at activist group SumOfUs. “An individual post might not have that much reach, but cumulatively over time, having this constant dripdrip has negative consequences.”
According to a tally by the Igarape institute, in the eight days before and after the October 2 first-round vote, far-right YouTube channels attracted 99 million views while leftist channels had 28 million views. Political analysts and the opposition have expressed fears that Bolsonaro’s internet army may help him challenge the results if he loses, by spreading unfounded claims of fraud.
Just before and just after the second round of the election on October 30, social media companies like YouTube and Meta will be given just an hour to remove problematic content. Platforms that do not comply will face fines of up to US$28,000 per hour and possibly be blocked on Brazilian servers for up to 24 hours.