Framing disinformation through legislation: Evidence from policy proposals in Brazil

Abstract

This article analyzes 62 bills introduced in the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies between 2019–2022 to understand how legislators frame disinformation into different problems and their respective solutions. The timeframe coincides with the administration of right-wing President Jair Bolsonaro. The study shows a tendency from legislators of parties opposed to Bolsonaro to attempt to criminalize the creation and spread of health-related and government-led disinformation. This trend is explained by the Brazilian polarized democracy in a moment of crisis with the COVID-19 pandemic.