The Politics of Content Moderation by Digital Platforms

This chapter contributes to the ongoing debate regarding the role of digital platforms, such as Google, YouTube, Meta, and TikTok, in electoral processes. Based on an analysis of the 2022 Brazilian elections, the central question is whether the platforms’ moderation practices are sufficient to assess their responsibility towards safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process. The empirical analysis is based on (a) review of reports and press releases, in which companies detail the policies adopted for the 2022 Brazilian general election, and (b) examination of reports written by academic groups and civil society organizations regarding the actual implementation of these policies throughout the election period. We argue that the ability of local authorities to evaluate the extent of the impact digital platforms have on an electoral process and on the occurrence of potentially illegal practices hinges upon the availability of transparency and auditing mechanisms, as well as the actual implementation of account and content moderation practices, which can provide more comprehensive insights than what is presented solely by the platforms themselves.