Brazil approaches a new electoral cycle. In October, voters will choose new mayors and city council members for the country’s 5,570 municipalities. However, officials, several parties, and political observers have issued a stark warning: the surge of disinformation, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence, poses a significant and immediate threat to the integrity of elections and the very fabric of democracy.
Lawmakers, however, seem nonchalant about these worries. Congress remains deadlocked on how to hold digital platforms accountable for the content they host and promote.
The House seemed poised to vote on the so-called “Fake News Bill” last year. Originally approved in 2020 in the Senate, the bill has stalled in the House due to the efforts of conservative lawmakers and the lobby of tech companies.
Its latest draft, by left-wing Congressman Orlando Silva, proposed holding platforms responsible for damages caused by third-party content if they are paid to boost the reach of the post in question. But House Speaker Arthur Lira sent the proposal back to square one, upending any regulatory effort.
Meanwhile, electoral courts and the federal government have attempted to fill that void by establishing legal safeguards against the malicious disinformation campaigns flooding public discourse, which erode trust in democracy, polarize voters, and distort perceptions of reality.
However, experts are sounding the alarm that some of the solutions being devised may inadvertently exacerbate the problem — or even spawn new ones.
One such example is the Solicitor General’s Office’s push to actively pursue the removal of content...
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