BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Brazil Electoral Court TSE said yesterday it had proposed to messenger app Telegram an agreement to join forces on a programme to combat misinformation ahead of the country’s presidential election scheduled to October this year.
The Program to Combat Misinformation was created as part of the electoral court’s effort to combat misinformation and “fake news,” especially those related to Brazil’s electronic voting system and other aspects of its electoral process.
Telegram has faced criticism for failing to do enough to tamp down rumors and monitor the activities of its users, while it has been lauded by far-right Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and his supporters.
Telegram’s representative Alan Campos Elias Thomaz said he would deliver the proposal to Telegram executives, adding that the app is committed to fighting “fake news,” the court said. Alan did not immediately respond a request for comment from Reuters about the proposal.
During the meeting, TSE representatives expressed concern about misinformation regarding the electoral process, and the need to ensure democratic integrity in the country.
The suggested partnership has an administrative and collaborative nature, not regulatory or sanctioning, the Court said.
Telegram was suspended by the Federal Supreme Court last week for non-compliance but authorized to operate in Brazil on Sunday.
Also last week its founder and CEO Pavel Durov published an apology addressed to the Supreme Court, saying that the Supreme Court tried to contact Telegram via an “old general email address,” which led to a lack of response, a problem that has reportedly already been resolved.
