The use of social media and private messaging services by Digital Populism: the role of the Superior Electoral Court in the 2022 elections
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17058/rdunisc.vi78.20802Abstract
This study aims to answer the following research question: how did the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) act to combat digital populism in the context of the 2022 elections? Thus, the objective is to analyze the use of social networks and private messaging services by radicalized groups on digital platforms to disseminate disinformation that undermines the legitimacy of the electoral process and democratic institutions in Brazil, in addition to discussing the limits of freedom of expression in the digital sphere and the possibility of accountability for the dissemination of false content. Using a qualitative approach, the research is based on a bibliographic analysis, with theoretical input from books and scientific articles, and a documentary analysis of TSE decisions handed down during and after the 2022 elections, as well as the STF's ruling on Direct Action of Unconstitutionality No. 7,261/DF, which determined the constitutionality of Resolution 23,714/2022. It is concluded that the TSE's actions in the 2022 elections were fundamental in ensuring the legitimacy of the election, as well as the investiture of the elected representatives in the process, serving as a milestone for electoral jurisprudence and for the construction of Brazil's democratic trajectory.
