Anatel will work with the TSE to combat “fake news” in the elections

The president of the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel), Carlos Manuel Baigorri, confirmed this Saturday (30) that the agency will work with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) to quickly remove content considered “fake news” or “hate speech”. In an interview with the portal MetropolisesBaigorri clarified points of the partnership with the TSE, already announced at the beginning of March.

In February, the current president of the TSE, Alexandre de Moraes, announced that he would form a partnership with Anatel to track down people who undermine democracy and quickly remove their content from the air. To do this, Moraes uses a resolution created by himself, which applies rules not approved by law and which contradict principles such as the Marco Civil da Internet, which only provides for the removal of content through analysis and judicial decision. With the resolution, social networks must act on their own initiative, which, according to experts, could increase censorship.

According to Baigorri, Anatel will have a “2.0 system” to remove fake news from networks based on decisions by the Electoral Court. For him, the biggest challenge will be the use of artificial intelligence by candidates for municipal positions.

“Our participation in this process is to comply with the judicial decisions issued by the Electoral Court, which are to block websites and applications, after understanding, by the Electoral Court, that they are attacking democracy and the electoral process”, said Baigorri to the Metropolises.

Baigorri also recalled that Anatel complied with several decisions from the TSE and the Federal Supreme Court (STF), in the 2022 elections.

“When we think about the electoral process and the harmful potential that misinformation has for the citizen, for the voter, the removal of these contents, these websites, these applications cannot take long, otherwise it will affect the electoral process”, he said .

Previously, Baigorri explained that the process was time-consuming because he had to print paper, send it through a court official and wait for the signature. Aiming to improve the process this year, he says he approached the president of the TSE, Alexandre de Moraes, to use digital systems.

“An integration was made between the system, the Electoral Court’s electronic process system, with Anatel’s electronic process system, so that we no longer need all this time”, explained the president of Anatel.