Organizations recommend changes to digital platforms to protect the Brazilian elections
An analysis carried out by civil society points to issues and solutions for social media to fulfil democratic values
Foto: Edilson Rodrigues/Agência Senado
On Friday (16), via the platform, Democracia Pede Socorro (Democracy Calling for Help), civil society organizations published the first results of their analysis on the role of digital platforms in protecting the integrity of the 2022 elections. There is also a document composed of proposals calling for the adoption of more effective measures and changes in company guidelines to safeguard against harmful content that could impact on the Brazilian electoral process.
The platform brings together 115 organizations, among them Conectas. The results of the analysis centre around two topics: Election Integrity and Advertising Archives. A further document is expected with analysis on the themes of political violence and misinformation against the environment and Amazônia.
Eight digital platforms were analysed: Meta (Facebook and Instagram); Twitter; YouTube; TikTok; Kwai; WhatsApp and Telegram. The document sets out policies envisaged for the platforms and highlights the negative points of each of them.
See below some recommendations contained in the document:
Meta (Facebook and Instagram)
- To adopt a specific policy to prevent calls for insurgency against democratic order and interference in the peaceful transfer of power, including when there is no explicit incitement to violence.
- To classify as misinformation any publication that contains unfounded allegations of electoral fraud.
YouTube
- To adopt a specific policy to prevent calls for insurgency against democratic order, including when there is no explicit incitement to violence.
- To broaden its policy so that false allegations that the electronic voting process in the 2022 elections is illegal and fraudulent are considered as misinformation and subject to action.
- To immediately reconfigure the recommendation system to ensure political neutrality in content suggested to users.
- To keep advertisements that have been banned in its report.
- To include not only links but also the content of the advertisements for analysis by independent researchers.
TikTok
- To adopt a specific policy to prevent calls for insurgency against democratic order.
Kwai
- To establish a policy of transparency in political advertising.
Telegram
- To establish and properly apply a policy to combat misinformation on elections on its channels and in public groups.
- To implement its policy of not allowing the use of the application for the circulation of deceitful, false information, based on denouncements by users.
