The 2022 elections are being marked by the large amount of rumors and lies spread on social media to confuse the voter. the calls fake news had a massive appearance in the 2018 election and now they continue to fight for space on the networks and in the news with facts and true news. To assist voters in identifying what is true or false, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) created spaces for fact checking in real time.
The resource is in “fact or rumor” page, from the TSE. Upon opening the page, voters already find several rumors denied. But there is also space to search for a specific check. In addition, the court has the chatbot, an Electoral Justice virtual assistant created in partnership with WhatsApp Business. To check if a received message is fact or rumor via chatbotjust access the “Information Query” menu and send the subject (text, image, audio, video or link) to immediately receive verified content.
If the voter wants to chat with the virtual assistant, just add the phone number +55 61 9637-1078 to your WhatsApp contact list or click on the link wa.me/556196371078. Then just send a message and start the conversation.
denunciations
There is also the possibility for the citizen to make a report of false news received. If this happens, you can report it to the Misinformation Alert System, created by the TSE and in operation since June 2022. Through the tool, citizens can report to the Electoral Court the receipt of false, decontextualized or manipulated news about the electoral process. It is also possible to report phone numbers suspected of triggering mass messages.
A series of false information – and considered absurd by many people – has already circulated during these elections with the aim of interfering with the results of the polls. Even so, the TSE has denied information such as that voters in Espírito Santo did not vote in advance for the second round; that the High Electoral Court system was not hacked by Russian hackers; and that it is a lie that voters must vote for a certain presidential candidate to validate proof of life with the INSS.
“It is time to exercise extreme caution before sharing any content, even if you believe it to be true. Fake news is increasingly sophisticated and has the potential to generate great damage, as the dissemination of disinformation has a direct impact on the democratic environment, increasing intolerance and animosity between people”, warns Vitor Monteiro, from the Special Advice on Confrontation. Disinformation and Institutional Strengthening of the TSE.
