On Thursday, January 13, the director of Fundação Getulio Vargas’ Department of Public Policy Analysis (FGV DAPP), Marco Aurelio Ruediger, took part in Rio Innovation Week, on the Knowledge Stage, as the guest of Editora Globo. He spoke in a debate called “Fake News and the Challenges of Transparent Elections.” The aim of the event was to contribute to Rio de Janeiro’s transformation into a leading state for innovation and technological entrepreneurship.
The other speakers were computer scientist Nina da Hora and lawyer Gustavo Binenbojm. The debate, whose starting point was this year’s presidential elections, focused on major challenges in the online world.
The speakers discussed the Brazilian electoral courts’ slow progress in regulating and supervising election campaigns, as well as punishing malpractice. Much was also said about the need for the state to set limits and obligations to regulate fake profiles and disinformation on social networks, instead of relying solely on self-regulation, which ends up serving the interests of big business.
According to Ruediger, Brazilian society is experiencing a significant lack of confidence in the role of politics as a space for solutions, reinforced by an exhausting electoral process in 2018 and three years of a government that has belittled institutions, downplayed the pandemic and experienced economic management problems.
“Brazil is a central place in the discussion of democracy in the world. The internet will once again play a key role in these elections. This is a serious problem, because our punishment time does not keep up with the time with which things happen on social networks and online platforms,” he said during the debate. He believes that in the upcoming elections, there will be strong messages about change and denials of the results, and this will also increase distrust.
Rio Innovation Week is one of the foremost technology and innovation events in Latin America. This year, it is taking place between January 13 and 16, at the Rio de Janeiro Jockey Club. The event brings together entrepreneurs, investors, young people and professionals of the future, executives and government representatives.