Washington Brazil Office - July 12, 2024
NetLab UFRJ (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro) is a national reference in the study of disinformation that circulates on the internet and social networks. Having carried out research on the state of digital information in Brazil for thirteen years, the Laboratory seeks to actively participate in the public debate, whether in academic fora, civil society initiatives, official activities, or with its frequent participation in Brazilian and international news.
Recently, the Laboratory, its research, and its researchers suffered a series of attacks. Congressional politicians from the conservative camp presented requests for NetLab to be called to a public hearing and contacted the Ministry of Education to obtain documents on the laboratory's financing – information that is available on our website. On social media, we have been victims of a campaign by politicians, bloggers, and influencers opposed to the research on disinformation, which resulted in thousands of insults, provocations, and threats on our profiles. Some publications suggested that, like the Stanford Internet Observatory, whose activities were closed after a campaign of persecution by U.S. congressional representatives, NetLab should be closed.
The attacks insinuated that NetLab UFRJ was persecuting and criminalizing members of the publicly funded opposition, alluding to projects supported by Senacon of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Women. However, this funding exclusively covers research into digital advertising and content monetization in Brazil. The projects have focused on advertisements promoted on social networks that seek to scam Brazilian consumers, stealing their personal data and/or their money.