TSE records deleted messages in Janones' channel
TSE does not find the information denounced as false in Janones' channel, but records deleted messages and limitations in the analysis
TL;DR
- A TSE technical report found that messages from the "Exército do Lula" WhatsApp channel, administered by Deputy André Janones, were deleted.
- The deletions made it difficult to reconstruct the history of publications, and the TSE team only analyzed content from October 2nd to 11th.
- Information denounced as false by Flávio Bolsonaro's campaign was not found within the analyzed period, partly due to deleted September posts.
- The report does not identify who deleted the messages or conclude that the deleted content was false.
- The channel mobilized supporters with videos, audios, and dissemination tasks, prompting Flávio's campaign to request its suspension for spreading false information.
- The TSE report identified a centralized and coordinated operation within the channel, including instructions to followers on how to boost content's algorithmic relevance.
- The report noted the use of polarizing language and the risk of rapid message spread among the channel's approximately 3.3 million followers.
- TSE President Kassio Nunes Marques had ordered the channel's suspension, but this decision was later overturned by electoral general prosecutor Ricardo Villas Bôas Cueva, with content deemed illicit still prohibited.