Telegram Collaborates With Brazilian Authorities To Combat Fake News

The partnership aims to combat the transmission of misleading information in the incoming elections.
SIA Team
March 29, 2022

The partnership aims to combat the transmission of misleading information in the incoming elections.

Telegram has agreed to join the TSE program aimed at combating misleading information about the Brazilian voting system ahead of the presidential elections in October. Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Instagram, YouTube, and Kwai have all signed individual agreements with the Court outlining the steps they would take to prevent the dissemination of incorrect and misleading information.

The corporation decided to join a permanent program led by Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to combat disinformation. The deal was preceded by a meeting between the TSE and the firm’s Brazilian agent, Alan Campos Elias Thomaz, who subsequently presented the suggestions to the company’s top executives.

Telegram has pledged to personally monitor its 100 most popular channels in Brazil on a daily basis as part of its efforts to avert a ban. The company will work with local fact-checking organizations to determine whether anything shared on the messaging app is untrue, and it may label some messages as inaccurate.

Other election-related efforts spearheaded by the TSE include the formation of a new organization aimed at improving the electoral process’ openness and security. The Election Transparency Commission (CTE) aims to increase the involvement of professionals, civil society groups, and government agencies in the inspection and auditing of the electoral process.

The committee of experts will also oversee and monitor the development of election systems, as well as the auditing of the electoral process. They will also be expected to offer suggestions and thoughts on any improvements that may be needed.

Furthermore, the TSE has made the source codes of electronic voting devices and the electronic voting system available for public review.

Telegram agreed to join the campaign after the Court made many attempts to contact them. TSE’s emails and letters were disregarded until Telegram was on the verge of being banned in Brazil due to its lack of cooperation with the country’s judiciary and law enforcement agencies.