Most Brazilians are against measures of the Judiciary determining blocking of profiles and accounts on social networks of people demonstrating against democracy and calling for a military coup🇧🇷 This is what shows a Datafolha survey carried out this week, between Monday (19) and Tuesday (20).
The survey was carried out in person and has a margin of error of two percentage points, more or less. 2,026 people were interviewed in 126 municipalities.
63% of respondents said they were against this type of order, against 32% who said they were in favor. 3% could not answer.
Among voters who declare having voted in Jair Bolsonaro (PL) in the second round, those opposed to the suspensions reach 79% of respondents, and those in favor are 16%.
Also, those who voted blank or null are mostly against blocking profiles (53%), compared to 39% who consider the measure adequate. The voters of Luiz Ignatius Lula da Silva (PT), on the other hand, are practically divided between the two positions: 49% are against the measure and 48% are in favor.
Since the second round of elections, when protests demanding military intervention spread across the country against the outcome of the electionfrom which Lula emerged victorious, several decisions by the Judiciary determined the blocking of social media accounts of people who spread disinformation about the polls or who encouraged acts, including Bolsonarist parliamentarians.
The same survey by Datafolha pointed out that almost three quarters (75%) of Brazilians are against the anti-democratic acts that have been carried out and although the majority (56%) also consider that there should be punishment for people who are calling for a military coup in these protests.
Support for suspensions on social networks, therefore, is the only minority.
In the Midwest and North, 69% of respondents declared that they were against suspensions on social networks, while in the Northeast the index was 60%.
Among evangelicals, 72% are against profile suspensions and 23% are in favor. The rates are different among Catholics, despite the fact that most of them (65%) do not approve of the blockades.
By age group, those aged 16 to 24 say they are less opposed to suspensions (60%) than those aged 45 to 59, among which 68% disapprove of the measure.
Among white people, 63% do not support the blockades, among brown people, 65%. The index is lower among black people (57%).
In the final stretch of the campaign, a new resolution was approved by the TSE (Superior Electoral Court), expanding its powers and allowing proactive action against misinformation. Among other items, she predicted that the systematic production of disinformation about the electoral process authorized the temporary suspension of profiles.
Bolsonarist camp politicians, as federal deputy Carla Zambelli (PL-DF)in addition to elected deputies such as Nicholas Ferreira (PL-MG) and Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO)were the target of this type of measure based on decisions by the electoral court.
Based on the resolution, Telegram groups with thousands of members and WhatsApp were also blockedmany of them were used to organize acts in front of barracks and roadblocks.
In general, the decisions were confidential. Part of the targets of this type of blocking, accuses the Judiciary of censorship.
Recently, the minister of the STF (Federal Supreme Court) Alexandre de Moraeswho is also president of the TSE, ordered the blocking of profiles on the networks of people suspected of involvement in anti-democratic demonstrations, along with search and seizure orders.
While in the Electoral Justice the suspensions had the resolution as a basis, in the STF they have been determined by means of precautionary measures in criminal investigations that run in court.
In the fake news survey, for example, there have already been several blocks of the type determined by Moraes, such as the blogger Allan dos Santos, who is on the run in the United States and that has already created several accounts to circumvent the restrictions.
It also came from the STF, blocks like economist Marcos Cintra (União Brasil-SP) on Twitter and das accounts of the PCO (Workers’ Cause Party) on multiple platforms.
According to experts consulted by the Sheetthere is a legislative gap on the subject🇧🇷 This is because today there are no legal limits or criteria giving guidelines – such as the seriousness of the infraction or the deadline for imposing the measure– for completely blocking a profile or account on a social network.
