According to an investigation carried out by a Brazilian publication, Folha, supporters of the new president elect of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, made use of the Facebook-owned social media platform, WhatsApp, to disperse unverified information about his major opposition during the October polls.
With 55 percent of the votes casted in October, Bolsonaro allegedly benefited from a slew of online posts, spread via WhatsApp with the intention of discrediting his opponents in the polls.
It is important to note that a yearning for change in the political structure as a result of controversies bordering on corruption, led to a court ordered sanction preventing Bolsonaro’s now jailed major opposition, Luis Inacio Lula da Silva, from running in the presidential race. This also contributed to the final poll results.
This situation was further exacerbated by the limited internet access available to Brazilians, which provides semi affordable access to over 120 million Brazilians for social media and messaging apps, but limited exposure to search engines and data holding sites to help verify the news they receive from social media.
Through this revelation, Brazil (like America) has become aware of just how much power social media can have over the electorate and the election process as a whole.
Just before the October 28 run off elections, Fohla revealed that a smear campaign had been illegally funded and launched through a conservative Brazilian business lobby group.
Aimed at his opponent, Fernando Haddad, the information sent to misguide the electorate en masse included doctored pictures of elder members of Haddad’s Workers Party celebrating with Fidel Castro after the Cuban Revolution as well as audio clips discrediting Haddad’s policies.
This has forced WhatsApp to issue an apology through its vice president, Chris Daniel, saying: “Everyday, millions of Brazilians trust WhatsApp with their most private conversations. Because both good and bad information can go viral on WhatsApp, we have a responsibility to amplify the good and mitigate the harm.”
With hopes of rectifying any mistake from the election, Brazil’s highest court has created an advisory board on internet and elections to further investigate 2018’s elections, while planning ahead to ensure minimal interruptions from social media in the next round.
