STF ignores Choquei case and does not include profile in fake news inquiry

One Week After Entertainment and Political Activism Profile I shocked, which has more than 27 million followers on social media, has confessed in an official statement to the publication of fake news that culminated in the suicide of a 22-year-old girl, the Federal Supreme Court (STF) has not yet commented on the possible inclusion of those responsible for the profile in inquiry 4,781, known as the “fake news inquiry”, which is conducted by the Court.

The owner of the profile is close to the first lady, Janja da Silva, and used his influence on social media to support Lula’s candidacy last year. Janja even sent privileged information to the profile during the election period.

A People’s Gazette contacted the STF on Friday (29), one day after the I shocked admitting the dissemination of fake news and questioned whether the Court would include those responsible for the profile in investigation 4,781 or in another investigation that deals with the topic. Given the lack of responses, the report demanded a response from the agency in the following days. So far there has been no statement from the Court.

Unlike what happened in the episode involving the entertainment profile, minister Alexandre de Moraes, rapporteur of inquiry 4,781, has already included ex officio a series of critics of the Court under the allegation of being authors of fake news. The investigation, which is approaching its fifth anniversary, collects arrests and a series of precautionary measures, in particular the blocking of social networks – including profiles of parliamentarians with active mandates. Almost all of those investigated in the inquiry are critical of the Supreme Court and aligned with the political right.

Now, faced with the scandal of the involvement of I shocked and a series of gossip pages linked to the agency Mynd8 in the spread of fake news that culminated in the death of a young woman, the Court remains silent. The majority of STF members are currently on recess, but there are ministers on duty. Furthermore, according to the Court’s advisors, Moraes decided to maintain work during the recess and maintains activities in his office.

In the opinion of André Marsiglia, constitutional lawyer specializing in freedom of expression and press and member of the Press Freedom Commission of the OAB-SP, the STF does not tend to provide guidance for a possible inclusion of those responsible for the I shocked in inquiries conducted by the Court. This is because, according to the jurist, the Supreme Court seems to believe that the greatest institutional risk comes from the existence of a political opposition in the country. “Choquei doesn’t seem to fit this profile that they classify as a threat,” he says.

Understand the Choquei case

In an official note, the I shocked confessed, last Thursday (28), that she shared false news that would have led Jéssica Vitória Canedo, aged 22, to commit suicide. The profile admitted to having replicated false content about supposed conversations that indicated involvement between the young woman and comedian Whindersson Nunes.

A few minutes after posting the statement on the social network “It is a lie that the Choquei page immediately removed the post upon learning that it was a lie. The page kept the post up for days, even with a Community Note warning about fake news”, says the check.

On Saturday (23), the profile had released a first note about the case on its Instagram profile, signed by lawyer Adélia Prado. At the time, the page stated that there was “no irregularity in the dissemination of the information provided”. However, on the same day, the lawyer left the case and said that she would not represent the I shocked judicially.

Young woman reported attacks and was mocked by the owner of Choquei

After having her name linked to the comedian, Jéssica used her social networks to denounce the attacks she had been suffering. “You are talking about my appearance, my social class, cursing my family, threatening, calling me a gold digger, comparing me with his exes… You don’t know what the psychological state of those who are receiving the insults and threats are like,” he said. the young woman on Instagram.

The person responsible for I shocked, Raphael Sousa, even commented on the publication made by Jéssica and made a joke about the outburst posted by the young woman. “Tell her that the Enem essay has already passed. For the love of God!”, said Sousa. Posts about the case were deleted. Jéssica’s mother even appealed for the attacks on her daughter to stop and stated that the young woman suffered from depression.

Raphael Sousa has already disseminated fake news pro-Lula and against PT’s opponents

Sousa is close to First Lady Rosângela Silva, known as Janja. After the results of the elections last year, he received an invitation from her to climb into the official sound car of Lula’s team and follow the PT’s victory speech. Janja, who since the election period has been working closely with left-wing influencers to support the government, even sent exclusive content to the I shocked during the electoral dispute.

With the dissemination of news on social media with a clear pro-Lula editorial bias, Raphael Sousa contributed greatly to the PT campaign. During the election period, the account was always among those with the greatest impact on electoral issues.

In an interview with Flow Podcast Last year, the owner of the page acknowledged that his actions helped elect the current president and stated that all the company’s employees were pro-Lula, but that the work to support the PT member had to do with the fact that the influencer was against it. to Bolsonaro.

Despite this, the profile owner became closer to the president after the start of the new term and maintains the government’s defense crusade on the internet at any cost, which includes the dissemination of pro-Lula fake news, as shown by People’s Gazette.

Senator Damares Alves (Republicanos-DF), who was Minister of Human Rights in the Bolsonaro administration, declared this Wednesday (5) that she has already been the target of several fake news coming from Choquei and other profiles linked to the Mynd8 agency.

In one of them, which reached more than 2 million followers, the I shocked falsely stated that when she was minister, Damares asked Bolsonaro to veto the delivery of ICU beds and drinking water to indigenous people.

“The truths about these blogs spreading lies and poorly told stories are finally coming to light. I have suffered a lot from these coordinated attacks in recent years. Will the response from institutions that supposedly fight ‘fake news’ be the same?”, asked the senator.