The New Digital Battlefield
In Brazil, a nation with high internet penetration and where WhatsApp is the most popular application, the digital landscape has become central to politics. For years, television was king, with free airtime allocated to parties based on their size in Congress.
This system favoured established parties, leaving outsiders with mere seconds of screen time. However, social media, and specifically closed messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, shattered this model. These platforms allowed politicians like former president Jair Bolsonaro to circumvent traditional media and build a direct, powerful connection with millions of voters, creating a fertile ground for grassroots mobilisation and, often, the rapid spread of polarising content. This shift forced all political players to recognise that elections are now won or lost on phone screens.
The Right's Online Dominance
The Brazilian right, particularly supporters of the Bolsonaro family, were early and effective pioneers in weaponizing digital networks. Starting with Jair Bolsonaro's successful 2018 presidential run, his campaign revolutionised the use of social media for political ends. His supporters built vast networks of WhatsApp groups that appeared distinct but were often controlled by a few administrators, allowing for the coordinated and rapid dissemination of information. This 'astroturfing' — creating the illusion of a widespread grassroots movement — was highly effective. These groups became echo chambers for political messaging, attacks on opponents, and claims of electoral fraud targeting the country's electronic voting system. Supporters were more likely to use WhatsApp to access and share political information, and participation in these groups correlated with a higher belief in electoral misinformation.
Lula's Digital Counter-Attack
For a long time, the Brazilian left struggled to match the right's digital prowess. That changed dramatically in recent elections. After a disappointing first-round result, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's campaign pivoted to a new, aggressive digital strategy. The centrepiece of this effort was a WhatsApp channel called 'Lula's Army', masterminded by congressman André Janones. What began with an initial base of around 53,000 followers exploded to over 10 million by the election. Janones acted like a digital general, sending direct instructions to his 'soldiers' for coordinated actions, such as pushing specific hashtags on X (formerly Twitter), sharing campaign videos, and spiking searches for scandals related to his opponent. This digital army was credited with helping to change the narrative and mobilise millions of voters who had stayed home in the first round.
Disinformation and Platform Power
A key function of these digital groups, on both sides of the aisle, is the amplification of mis- and disinformation. During the 2022 election, fact-checking organisations and Brazil's Superior Electoral Court (TSE) partnered to create WhatsApp tiplines to field hundreds of thousands of queries from voters about false claims. Topics ranged from accusations of criminality against Lula to claims about Bolsonaro. The closed, encrypted nature of these apps makes it incredibly difficult for auditors and election observers to track the flow of false information. Furthermore, major platforms like Meta (owner of WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram) have faced accusations of distorting the political debate. Lula's campaign alleged that the company's algorithms suppressed their content while amplifying their opponents, which Meta attributed to technical glitches. This highlighted the immense and often opaque power that tech giants wield over democratic processes.
