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Elections 2024 - Integrated Center for Confronting Disinformation and Defending Democracy (CIEDDE)
The Integrated Center for Confronting Disinformation and Defending Democracy, CIEDDE, was inaugurated on March 12, 2024. It aims at bringing together the efforts of different institutions to face disinformation and deepfakes against the electoral process, acting in a coordinated manner to confront hateful, discriminatory, and anti-democratic speech in the electoral sphere.
CIEDDE's role is to promote cooperation between the Electoral Justice, public bodies, and private entities, especially social media platforms and private messaging services during the electoral period, ensuring compliance with the rules established for electoral propaganda. Representatives of the Federal Prosecution Service (MPF), the Federal Council of the Brazilian Bar Association (CFOAB), the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP), and the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) — institutions that are part of the Center — as well as Google Brasil, Meta, TikTok, Linkedin, among others.
The Center assists the Regional Electoral Courts in improving the regular use of artificial intelligence in elections, combating disinformation and deepfakes, and protecting voters' freedom of choice.
CIEDDE is also responsible for coordinating courses, seminars, and studies to promote education in citizenship, democracy, Electoral Justice, and digital rights; organizing educational campaigns and suggesting to the competent bodies the normative changes needed to strengthen Electoral Justice.
The video below explains how CIEDDE works:
CIEDDE works through complaints made via the TSE Portal, where an automated system classifies the information according to the topic. If there are indications of a crime, the Public Prosecution Service and the Federal Police are immediately called in.
The complaint is then checked to determine whether the issue has already been judged by the TSE. If the disinformation is specific to a locality, the specific Regional Electoral Court (TRE) is notified. Social media platforms are also informed and must report on the measures taken within two hours. The case is closed if the platform removes the content within this period.
If the platform does not respond or does not agree to remove the content, the TSE Presidency can order the removal if there is already a decision on similar facts. The other members of CIEDDE will then be called into action.
TSE Ordinance 386/2024 sets out the main guidelines for the operation of the Center.
Among the rules is an indication on how to access the Electoral Disinformation Alert System page, available here. To file a complaint, you must select one of the eight available categories on disinformation provided for in TSE Resolution nº 23,610/2019.