Digitalization and democracy in Brazil: strengthening the integrity of democracy in the new digital public sphere, 2020-2023

The Digitalization and Democracy in Brazil project was developed by the School of Cummunication, Media and Information of the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV ECMI) in partnership with the German Embassy in Brazil. Started in August 2020, the project reached its third year of activity seeking to support the improvement of Brazilian democracy in the face of the challenges posed by digitalization. Since then, the project has developed several activities towards that goal, such as studies, events and analytical tools. Together, these activities have contributed to measuring the digital public debate and presenting a proactive agenda against the risks of extremist articulations and attempts at democratic rupture. Among the topics addressed in the project were processes of misinformation, hate speeches, questioning of the electoral process, and the public debate about violence, political representation and the environmental agenda on social media. The guiding thread of the project was the investigation of the public opinion in the digital environment, offering empirical tools to inform political authorities, civil society, and other key players responsible for making decisions, while observing the development of new technologies and strengthening the democratic process.