10 innovative initiatives

The multistakeholder and systemic approach to disinformation has transformed the Program to Tackle Disinformation, implemented in the 2020 Elections, into the largest and most innovative project to combat fake news created by an electoral body. The main initiatives of the Program were as follows: 

1. Establishment of the Verification Coalition – 2020 Elections: network formed by nine verification institutions to check fake news related to the Electoral Process;

2. Establishment of the Fact or Rumor (FatoouRumor) page, on the Electoral Justice website, to centralize the verification of false information published during the elections, allowing access by all citizens to the contents of the page without charging for data traffic (zero rating) by mobile phone operators; 

3. Development of a chatbot on WhatsApp, which allowed voters to access verified news and clear up doubts about the Electoral Process, with almost 20 million messages exchanged; 

4. Establishment of a notification center in the Electoral Justice applications e-Titulo, Mesários and Pardal, allowing direct communication between the Electoral Justice and the more than 18 million users of these applications;  

5. Formalization of partnerships with some of the main internet application providers, through the signing of agreements that provided for specific measures to combat disinformation and ensure a healthier informational environment during elections; 

6. Establishment of a network of quality content broadcasters on the Electoral Process on social media, with the launch of the#EuVotoSemFake(I Vote Without Fake [News]) campaign, which had the participation of media associations, public and private entities, and any citizens who wished to participate; and the #NãoTransmitaFakeNews (Don’t Share Fake News) and #PartiuVotar (Go Vote) campaigns, with the participation of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and several national football clubs; 

7. Launch of the media campaign If It’s Fake News, Don't Share It, to educate voters about the phenomenon of disinformation and the dangers of disseminating fake news, broadcast on TV, radio and social media;

8. Establishment of an extrajudicial channel to reportbulkmessaging, in partnership with WhatsApp, which allowed analysis of behavior by the platform and the banning of accounts that carried out bulk messaging during the elections; 

9. Establishment of a monitoring network of disinformation practices harmful to the Electoral Process, which, with monitoring tools from social media and strategic partners, managed to identify cases and practices of disinformation against the Electoral Process and act, together with social media, to tackle structured networks of disinformation dissemination and inhibit inauthentic behavior and misleading content; 

10. Establishment of the cyber-intelligence committee to facilitate rapid action and communication in the event of cybersecurity incidents during the elections.