Election campaigning in 2026: recommendations on Resolution no. 23.610/2019 and the new drafts from the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).

With the rapid development of digital technologies, preserving the integrity of information in the online environment is a growing challenge. This is particularly challenging in election campaigns: between one election and another, numerous technologies and techniques are developed and refined, and if misused, they have the power to substantially impact public opinion. New problems compound those already existent, expanding their potential for harm beyond the reach of existing laws.

Even when supported by legislation and the solid institutions of contemporary democracies, election campaigns have proven susceptible to manipulation strategies using digital platforms. Over the past few years, NetLab UFRJ has published studies that show how digital platforms have provided a permissive environment for all types of toxic and irregular advertising campaigns, yet remain to be held acountable for the collective damage caused in Brazil.

In this scenario, public debate is increasingly fraught with risks, such as automated fake accounts, manipulated interaction metrics, irregular online advertising without the provision for auditing, and, more recently, the rising popularity and dissemination of generative artificial intelligence tools that generate mass false content. This last element marks a new inflection point in disinformation strategies, the impact of which remains difficult to measure.

These factors impose new responsibilities on regulatory bodies, decision-makers, and those institutions which safeguard the democratic process to preserve the integrity of elections. At the same time, they offer lessons for adjusting paths and correcting flows in an attempt to protect the electoral process.

To this end, the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) resolutions constitute one of the most important mechanisms for updating electoral regulations in view of the mounting challenges listed here. On January 19, 2026, the Court released the updated drafts of Resolution No. 23.610/2019, which governs electoral propaganda in Brazil. The process foresees the submission of recommendations and contributions by any interested party—such as citizens, parties, and civil society organizations—which will be debated in public hearings scheduled for February 3, 4, and 5.

NetLab UFRJ publicly discloses its contributions to the drafts and the Resolution itself, presented to the Court on January 27, with a view to participating in the public hearings. These contributions are based on the laboratory's extensive experience in preventing and mitigating problems arising from the intentional misuse of digital technologies to influence debates and, consequently, election results. These contributions also come as the result of the accumulated experience of debates held within the Disinformation Countermeasures Coordination Room (SAD).

NetLab UFRJ commends the Superior Electoral Court for its initiative in receiving suggestions which aim to improve the resolutions that will govern the 2026 elections. We believe that the broader the participation in this debate, the more robust and effective the resulting legislation will be.

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Propaganda eleitoral em 2026.pdf

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This report is an independent production of NetLab UFRJ. All decisions regarding this work were made exclusively by the researchers of the laboratory. The funders of NetLab UFRJ have no influence on the laboratory's research agenda and did not participate in any stage of the production of this report.

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