The federal government announced and later aborted the creation of a monitoring system for Pix transactions above R$5,000 for individuals and R$15,000 for businesses, a measure aimed at combating tax evasion. The decision generated strong negative repercussions, fueled by misinformation, such as that spread in a video by congressman Nikolas Ferreira (PL-MG), highlighting the impact of fake news on communication, social behavior, and even public policies, such as the drop in Pix usage and the retreat of the measure.
To address these issues, it is essential to highlight initiatives and tools to combat misinformation and reinforce the importance of critical consumption of information, both on an individual and institutional level.
For Antônio Rocha Filho, a Journalism professor at ESPM, this is not the first time that major events have been impacted by misinformation. “One of the best-known episodes occurred during the 2016 American elections when false information circulated that Pope Francis supposedly supported Donald Trump’s candidacy against Hillary Clinton, which was later debunked.”
The advancement of technology and the use of artificial intelligence further expand the possibilities of spreading misinformation. According to Rocha Filho:
“The advancement of artificial intelligence tools has worsened the spread of misinformation, with manipulated content, such as fake voices and images, outpacing fact-checking capabilities. This scenario is intensified by Meta’s recent decision to suspend fact-checking in the U.S. and the lack of progress in regulation in Brazil, such as the fake news bill in Congress. Combating this requires media literacy, promoting critical thinking from basic education onward, and efficient regulation to mitigate impacts, especially in the political sphere.”
Ricardo Gandour, a researcher and also a journalism professor at ESPM, adds:
“Communication fragmentation has intensified over the last 10 years. On one hand, we have the healthy democratization of access to information. On the other, the dangerous proliferation of fabricated information designed to confuse, posing a risk to institutions and democracy.”
Data from the 21st edition of the Political Panorama survey by the DataSenado Institute underscores the severity of the problem. The survey revealed that 72% of social media users in Brazil have encountered news they considered false in the last six months—a concerning statistic ahead of the 2024 municipal elections. Additionally, half of the respondents stated they had difficulty identifying false content, highlighting the need for greater media literacy education.
