Pro-Bolsonaro violence: experts highlight role of social media platforms

Source: The Guardian

Pro-Bolsonaro violence: experts highlight role of social media platforms

Sunday’s 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 Sunday’s 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 Instagram’s owner, Meta, has said it will take down content that praises the storming of government buildings in Brazil’s capital, amid claims that tech firms had not done enough to head off the attacks or quell disinformation.

Nina Santos, a postdoctoral fellow at Brazil’s 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