FAKE NEWS ABOUT THE FAKE NEWS BILL: ALGORITHMIC MANIPULATION IN THE DEBATE ON REGULATION OF DIGITAL PLATFORMS IN BRAZIL

Abstract

Bill 2630/2020, popularly known as the “Fake News Bill,” has become one of the main points of controversy surrounding the regulation of digital platforms in Brazil. Although the term “fake news” does not appear in the bill’s original text, it has been widely labeled and debated as such, revealing a significant gap between its normative content and the way it has been framed by the media and amplified by digital platforms. This article analyzes how distorted narratives about the bill were produced, disseminated, and absorbed by the public, contributing to the polarization of the debate and the weakening of its technical and legal foundations. The study adopts a qualitative, critical-descriptive approach based on a literature review on media framing and the algorithmic logic of platforms, as well as the analysis of news reports and public campaigns promoted by major media outlets and platforms such as Google. The selection of empirical material is non-systematic and focuses on emblematic cases that illustrate the intersection between media, platforms, and disinformation. By examining how these dynamics affected the bill’s legislative process, the study seeks to contribute to the understanding of the barriers faced by democratic internet regulation in Brazil.