The monitoring initiative conducted by the team at LabCom-UBI commenced on April 18 and is set to continue until election day, May 18, according to a statement released today by the Portuguese Media Regulatory Authority (ERC).
This analysis focuses on content related to party candidacies published on platforms including Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, as specified by the media regulator.
Helena Sousa, the president of the ERC, emphasized the organization’s dedication to combating misinformation within its capabilities, stating, “This partnership reaffirms our commitment to defending citizens’ right to information and freedom of the press, which are fundamental values essential for protecting the integrity of democratic processes.”
The collaboration, which follows an initial partnership with the ERC during the 2024 European elections, aims to enhance the process of identifying misleading content. João Canavilhas, a researcher at LabCom-UBI, highlighted the goal of contributing to a better society through research efforts.
Among the disinformation content to be analyzed are fake polls or those from companies not registered with the ERC, altered news articles intended to create a deceptive perception of reality and mimic the graphics/formats of media outlets for disinformation purposes, as described by the entities.
It also includes manipulated informational videos, content using false information to discredit news circulated by the media, and fake news outlets created to spread misinformation.
