….”
In February 2022, eight platforms signed agreements with the TSE committing to fight disinformation in the electoral process: Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, WhatsApp, Google, Instagram, YouTube, and Kwai. Since then, other companies, such as LinkedIn and Spotify, have joined the agreement, including an unusual one: Telegram.
In just a few months, Telegram went from Supreme Court foe to ally. In January, TSE president Justice Barroso had said that if Telegram did not cooperate with the court in appointing a legal representative in the country among other requirements, Congress should ban its operation in the country. In March, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled to block Telegram’s operation in Brazil as long as the firm did not comply with this and other court decisions. The decision was taken in the context of the case of Allan dos Santos, a pro-Bolsonaro blogger involved in anti-democratic activities. Moraes’s decision was the final display of a dissatisfaction that had built over the course of months. However, the block did not go into effect, because Telegram finally acted.
The agreements between the social media companies and the TSE are based on memorandums of understanding, which list the actions and measures to be taken jointly by the court and each platform. For Telegram, for example, the agreement entails: granting the TSE channel on the platform a verified check, access to the Telegram API, creation of an exclusive channel for TSE to report violating content, labeling disinformation, and participating in routine meetings with the TSE.”…
Brazil's Electoral Court brings platforms closer ahead of presidential elections, but questions over companies’ commitments remain
