Destabilizing Brazilian Democracy: The Role of Telegram and Events on January 8, 2023

This study examines the impact of social media, primarily focusing on the platform Telegram, on public opinion, political mobilization, and the spread of misinformation in the aftermath of Brazil's 2022 elections. The study highlights the radicalization of far-right groups and the organization of the January 8, 2023, coup attempts. It argues that social media platforms serve as critical spaces for connective actions that destabilize democracy, particularly by facilitating the assembly of extremist groups. The research uses a mixed-methods approach to analyze 303,000 messages from pro-Bolsonaro channels on Telegram, demonstrating how the platform supports anti-democratic collective efforts. The study found that such platforms have the capacity to widely disseminate misinformation, which affects public opinion and promotes narratives that reach a vast audience through less visible social media spaces. The analysis of a sample messages from 86 channels revealed an increase in the volume and radicalization of messages towards the end of 2022. These messages often contained conspiratorial discourses advocating radical actions against Brazil's judiciary, suggesting a need for military intervention to "save" the country, even through violence. This research emphasizes the crucial relationship between the media and politics in the context of democracy and misinformation.