Since June 2022, Google's Political Advertising Transparency Report in Brazil allows access to data on electoral ads through the Google Ads network in formats such as search results, website banners and videos on Youtube. Initiatives like this have been launched in recent years after scandals and pressure for platform regulation.
However, researchers have been pointing out inconsistencies and limitations in the transparency tools proposed by companies like Google and Meta. These platforms are accused of staging a “transparency theater”, which makes data research and auditability difficult.
In a previous study, when we analyzed the first weeks of the 2022 election campaign, we found different types of irregularities, including the predominance of ads without the CNPJ or CPF (business or personal tax number) of the person responsible and/or any electoral propaganda labeling; the presence of election advertisements promoted irregularly by companies and advertisements with negative propaganda, race and gender discrimination.
Aiming to continue the monitoring of online political advertising, this report focuses on the political ads aired on and around the 7th of September (Brazilian Independence Day), identifying possible irregularities, the main trends of the period and highlighting the limitations of the platform's transparency.
How to cite: Netlab UFRJ. Anúncios no 7 de setembro: estratégias e irregularidades da publicidade política no Google. 15 de Setembro de 2022, Escola de Comunicação da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil.