Brazil's Electoral Court partners with tech giants to curb 2026 election disinformation
The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) of Brazil formalised a series of partnership agreements with major digital platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, Threads, WhatsApp, Meta, Google, Kwai, TikTok, LinkedIn, X and Telegram—on 28 July 2026. The accords, part of the TSE’s Permanent Programme to Fight Disinformation, provide channels for voter complaints, staff training and communication tools such as a "Megaphone" messaging service and direct access to WhatsApp’s Business API. Meta will grant the TSE access to its Ads Library, while Google will highlight civic‑focused apps in the Play Store during the election period. The agreements remain in force until 31 December 2026 and include collaboration with the Electoral Disinformation Alert System (Siade) and, for Google, the Project Shield protection service.
In parallel, President Luiz Inácio Lula’s government issued Decree No. 12.976/2026, imposing strict timelines for the removal of illegal content targeting women online. Platforms must delete non‑consensual intimate images within two hours of a report, misogynistic speech within six hours and other gender‑based violence content within 24 hours. The decree also requires digital removal of offending material to be digitally fingerprinted to prevent automatic reposting, and holds platforms accountable for systemic failures to prevent such content.
Both the partnership framework and the decree aim to safeguard the integrity of the 2026 electoral process and protect women from online abuse.
Entities: Google LLC · Kassio Nunes Marques · Meta Platforms · Superior Electoral Court (TSE) · Telegram Messenger
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The same decree obliges platforms to remove misogynistic speech within six hours and to prevent automatic reposting of removed content. (multiple sources)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Meta will provide the TSE with access to its Ads Library for election‑related advertisements. (multiple sources)
- [● 2 SOURCES] The partnership agreements were announced on 28 July 2026 and are valid until 31 December 2026. (multiple sources)
- [● 5 SOURCES] Google will feature a special selection of civic apps on the Play Store during the election period. (multiple sources)
- [● 6 SOURCES] The TSE signed partnership agreements with Facebook, Google, Kwai, TikTok, LinkedIn, X and Telegram to combat disinformation for the 2026 elections. (multiple sources)
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Decree No. 12.976/2026 requires platforms to delete non‑consensual intimate images within two hours of a report. (multiple sources)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The TSE will obtain access to WhatsApp’s Business API to communicate directly with voters. (multiple sources)
- [● 5 SOURCES] The agreements include the creation of a “Megaphone” tool for the TSE to send messages to Brazilian users. (multiple sources)