Pro-Bolsonaro violence: experts highlight role of social media platforms
Source: The Guardian
Pro-Bolsonaro violence: experts highlight role of social media platforms
Sundays insurrection by supporters of far-right ex-president was organised first on private messaging networks, experts say
Constance Malleret in Rio de Janeiro, Dan Milmo and Alex Hern
Mon 9 Jan 2023 15.17 GMT
Last modified on Mon 9 Jan 2023 16.49 GMT
The role of social media platforms and messaging apps in Sundays political violence in Brasília is under the spotlight after experts highlighted their use by Jair Bolsonaro supporters to question the presidential election result and organise the protests.
Facebook and Instagrams owner, Meta, has said it will take down content that praises the storming of government buildings in Brazils capital, amid claims that tech firms had not done enough to head off the attacks or quell disinformation.
Nina Santos, a postdoctoral fellow at Brazils National Institute of Science and Technology in Digital Democracy, said the insurrection by radical Bolsonaristas was organised first on private messaging networks, such as Meta-owned WhatsApp and Telegram, before moving to public platforms for more visibility.
There are strategies for this movement to be visible to those who are interested in it, but for it to remain under the radar of general monitoring efforts, said Santos, citing the use of the expression Festa da Selma as a code to mobilise protesters without raising suspicions.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/09/pro-bolsonaro-violence-social-media-platforms