Stories about Brazil
Australian PM Anthony Albanese adds to growing political pressure to #FreeJulianAssange
The Australian PM has finally talked about Julian Assange ... and while distancing himself from Assange’s well-motivated actions, has said he has raised it with representatives of the US administration.
WhatsApp postpones Brazil launch of new Communities feature until after elections
Initial media reports suggested WhatsApp's decision to withhold the launch was part of an agreement with the Supreme Electoral Court (TSE), with whom Bolsonaro has been at loggerheads due to his groundless remarks about fraud in the electoral system.
Can citizens of democracies still trust the law? A GV Insights discussion
The flip side of regulating the internet is that this enables the state to mobilise itself and erase the existence of these communities and their identities from popular culture and discussion.
Under Bolsonaro, political attacks gain institutional legitimacy in Brazil
In February 2022, the Federal Police delivered a partial report to the Supreme Court detailing the structure of “digital militias” coordinating attacks against rival politicians, democratic institutions, and the dissemination of "false news."
Brazil's Electoral Court brings platforms closer ahead of presidential elections, but questions over companies’ commitments remain
All the agreements are non-binding, however, which means there will be no enforcement in the case a platform does not meet the actions listed in the MoU.
LIVE on September 15: Can citizens of democracies still trust the law?
As digital authoritarianism spreads globally, is the law, one of the pillars of democracy, being used to undermine people's rights?
In Brazil and India we are seeing an increase in tensions between platforms and states
Research from the Unfreedom Monitor uncovers a pattern in the way that social media and tech platforms engage with states that practise digital authoritarianism.
Advocacy groups in the Americas focus on tackling rising surveillance technology
Digital surveillance continues to spread in the Americas, human rights groups raise awareness, research, and earn small judicial victories to limit its negative impacts on communities.
Unfreedom Monitor Report: Brazil
Advox research into digital authoritarianism in Brazil is now in a report. Read an excerpt and download the full pdf.
Access the Unfreedom Monitor database
The Unfreedom Monitor is an Advox initiative to deepen our understanding of the relationship between technology and authoritarian power. In the first phase of this project, researchers working in 11...
Brazilian facial recognition ruling can set an important precedent for country-wide use
This lawsuit could generate a "process of recognition that this is a wrongful practice, both on the side of the public authority, as well as the private enterprise."
Opacity and a lack of debate mark Brazil's ratification of the Budapest Convention
Experts warn that the roll-out was problematic, not least because the treaty may put citizen data in general at risk and open the way to criminalizing the work of InfoSec researchers and activists.
After writing about police killings, editor of The Intercept Brazil is made target of investigation
The journalist sent out a newsletter with a text that focused was on the police's actions, which resulted in at least 41 homicides in the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro.
Social media in Latin America: Caught between a rock and a hard place
As researchers, it is very difficult to know how, or even if, high profile global announcements are actually impacting users in Latin America.
So-called anti-fascist files in Brazil expose the personal information of hundreds of people
One of the lists, which circulated on WhatsApp, doxxed people's personal information such as names, pictures, and addresses.
Twitter urged to take action against harassment of female reporter in Brazil
The smear campaign against Folha de S. Paulo journalist Patrícia Campos Mello is one of several cases of harassment against reporters that have taken place recently in Brazil.
Lynch mobs in India, fake news in Brazil — when disinformation goes viral, should Facebook take action?
Facebook may still not know its power when it comes to disinformation.
Netizen Report: How WhatsApp (and $3 million) helped carry Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro to victory
The Advox Netizen Report offers an international snapshot of challenges, victories, and emerging trends in Internet rights around the world.
Brazilian journalists face hacking, doxxing and other threats as election draws near
141 cases of threats and violence against journalists have been registered during the coverage of 2018 elections.
Will fake news carry Brazil's favored far-right candidate to victory?
Facebook and WhatsApp have seen a flurry of false and misleading posts promoting Jair Bolsonaro, who is likely to be Brazil's next president.
