Opposition wants CPI of the Digital Mafia and investigate Lula’s “love office”

Even in the midst of the recess, opposition parliamentarians in the Chamber of Deputies intensified the collection of signatures for the creation of a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPI) aimed at investigating the relationship between the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and the company Mynd , responsible for 34 entertainment and political activism profiles and another 400 for artists and influencers.

So far, 122 deputies have signed the request for the creation of the CPI to determine whether the digital influencers who supported the Workers’ Party and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva made the posts of their own free will, just out of political idealism, or whether they received them for that. The minimum number for installing a CPI is 171 signatures.

Mynd is the same company that handles the Choquei profile, which publishes celebrity gossip, with 30 million followers, and which recently occupied the news after false posts about an alleged involvement between Jéssica Vitória and comedian Whinderson Nunes. The gossip, denied by both Jéssica and the comedian, ended with the death of the young woman, who took her own life after several attacks and insults received online.

In addition to the seriousness of this fact, the opposition wants to install the CPI of the Digital Mafia, as it is being called, to investigate and find out whether payments were made to the influencers that President Lula says supported him free of charge, as stated by deputy Maurício Marcon (PL -RS), deputy leader of the opposition bench in the Chamber.

Parliamentarians hope to open the legislative year with an investigation into the “love office”

According to Marcon, parliamentarians want to obtain the 49 signatures that are missing to file the CPI request as soon as legislative work returns, on February 2nd. The author of the request to create the commission, deputy Gustavo Gayer, used X, formerly Twitter, to defend the investigation of Mynd, partners, profiles and influencers, to “expose once and for all the true office of hate”.

“This is the real “cabinet of love”, which is spreading lies on the networks”, said Marcon. He was referring to the group of advisors to former president Jair Bolsonaro, who managed the last government’s social networks, and was accused by the left of being part of the so-called “hate office”, for allegedly spreading false information and attacking opponents. politicians.

To obtain signatures, the opposition leadership also entered the field and sent a message to parliamentarians asking for support for the CPI.

Also on social media, the opposition leader, Carlos Jordy (PL-RJ), criticized the silence of Mynd, the company’s owner, Fátima Pissarra, and Lula and the first lady, Rosângela Silva, Janja, in the face of evidence of alleged funding for websites and blogs that spread fake news. For the parliamentarian, “it is an indisputable confession of guilt.” Lula and Janja even hosted influencers for breakfast at Planalto.

Left attributes death to the spread of fake news and defends approval of the “Censorship PL”

While the opposition tries to obtain the number of signatures required by the internal regulations of the Chamber of Deputies to install a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission, the left uses the episode to try to defend the approval of Bill 2630, known as PL Fake News or PL da Censura, as it is called by opposition deputies.

Voting on the project, which has already been urgently approved for deliberation in the plenary, has been on hold since May, due to lack of agreement. Even the attempt to slice up part of the proposal, including excerpts in another proposal that deals with copyright, did not evolve in 2023.

The leader of the PT in the Chamber, deputy Zeca Dirceu, is one of those who defend the resumption of the project via social media. “We need to move forward in 2024 in the processing of PL 2630-Fake Newsthis should be a priority at the beginning of the year for parliament”, he published on the networks.

But the deputy leader of the opposition, Maurício Marcon, does not believe that the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into the Digital Mafia can leverage the vote on this project, the Censorship Bill. According to him, the matter, as it stands, will not pass, as it faces strong resistance from center and right-wing parties. Regarding the possibility of the CPI being influenced by the government base, Marcon assesses that, if it is installed, it should be chaired and reported by the opposition parties.

To be filed, in addition to the 171 signatures, the CPI must have a specific fact to be investigated, and a defined period of operation, of 120 days, extendable for another 60 days. After being filed with the Board of Directors of the Chamber, the CPI will be officially created with the reading of the request in Plenary, and the definition of party proportionality and appointment of members. At the first meeting, the president and vice-president are elected and then the rapporteur will be appointed.

Mynd gossip profiles have 150 million followers and influence political debate

According to Spotniksfrom Canal UOL, one of Mynd’s projects, called Digital Banking, is responsible for managing large gossip profiles, such as Fuxiquei, Fofoquei, Gina Indelicada and Alfinetei. In total, there are 34 profiles that make up Digital Banking, which together have 150 million followers.

In addition to reaching the public through gossip pages, Mynd is also responsible for advertising artists such as Pabllo Vittar, Gil do Vigor, Luisa Sonza and Deolane Bezerra. Among the agency’s clients are companies such as Americanas and Magazine Luiza. The role of Digital Banking and its gossip pages is to highlight agency artists. This way, artists also improve their reach on the networks, which adds value to their advertising work. With Mynd’s clients being more sought after for the sale of advertising products, the agency’s profit becomes even greater.

The reach of managed profiles and gossip pages with media outlets allows Mynd to make brands, topics and influencers viral. The work is questioned due to the anonymity of profiles and the payment for content that reaches social media users without it being clear that it is advertising.

Furthermore, still in accordance with the Spotniks, the agency would have used this power to generate cancellations, including in political debate, using fake news. In May 2023, the People’s Gazette showed the reach of pro-Lula profiles that spread fake news by linking improvements in the economy with the current president.

Another example is the campaign that encouraged 16-year-olds to obtain their voter registration card, cited by Spotniks. In it, several influencers linked to Mynd posted on their social networks the importance of participating in the electoral campaign. The video of Spotniks It also showed how the PT had access to these influencers, considered “digital leaders”, during President Lula’s campaign.

In a position sent to People’s Gazette On January 4, Mynd said that it only deals with the intermediation of advertising sales on social media profiles. “We handle exclusively the intermediation of advertising sales on social media profiles and do not participate at any time in defining the personal content posted on the profiles of the creators we serve,” argued the agency. Mynd8 stated that it did not “own” any news profile and that all agents are “free, totally independent”.