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Delegates' Area
English
DIGITAL ECONOMY
Research reveals that women are the primary victims of disinformation on social media in Brasil
A study has revealed that Brazilians support government measures for regulating online platforms and are concerned about the prevalence of attacks against Brazilian women on social media. The data is from the ‘’She Persisted Analysis of Gendered Disinformation Trends in Brasil’’ report, which was presented at a G20 side event on information integrity in São Paulo.
The most recent research conducted by Lake Research Partners has revealed that Brazilians are becoming increasingly concerned about the spread of disinformation on social media and trust the government's measures to address the situation, with particular attention to the impact on women. The data was presented during a side event of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group, held this week in São Paulo.
The data, derived from interviews with 1,050 voters conducted between March 14th and 26th, 2024, indicates that 77% of respondents expressed approval of the Projeto de Lei das Fake News / Fake News Bill, currently under consideration in the Brazilian National Congress. This finding highlights a growing demand for regulation on digital platforms. A significant proportion of respondents (78%) indicated that it is important to establish rules to counter disinformation targeting women on the online environment, with a corresponding view that this is a responsibility of the government.
Furthermore, 65% of the respondents acknowledged that the companies that own social media platforms benefit from the dissemination of false information and misinformation. Additionally, 65% of the respondents believe that these platforms contribute to the intensification of political polarization in Brazilian Society.
The data, derived from interviews with 1,050 voters conducted between March 14th and 26th, 2024, indicates that 77% of respondents expressed approval of the Projeto de Lei das Fake News / Fake News Bill, currently under consideration in the Brazilian National Congress. This finding highlights a growing demand for regulation on digital platforms. A significant proportion of respondents (78%) indicated that it is important to establish rules to counter disinformation targeting women on the online environment, with a corresponding view that this is a responsibility of the government.
Disinformation has a disproportionate impact on women
The qualitative study of the "She Persisted Analysis of Gendered Disinformation Trends in Brasil" identified women as the primary victims of attacks that harm their political trajectories and discourage their participation in the public sphere. The study was based on data extracted from social media between 2019 and 2024.
The prevalence of gender disinformation is evidenced by the dissemination of false information about women in prominent positions in politics and the media. In Brasil, X/Twitter had the highest percentage of attacks against women, approximately 61%, followed by YouTube and Facebook with 59% and 53.4% of content, respectively, containing attacks targeted women.
The briefing revealed that the data underscores the necessity for measures to safeguard social media users, particularly women, children, and adolescents, and to encourage the regulation of digital platforms. The majority of Brazilians' confidence in federal government initiatives to address online disinformation reflects a demand for a safer and more equitable online environment for all users.