Brazil’s Bolsonaro turns to Telegram as vote nears

Telegram’s largely unmoderated platform, which allows groups of up to 200,000 members, is a potential viral breeding ground for false information. — AFP

BRASÍLIA: Like millions of Brazilians, @mara, a fervent fan of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, has turned to the messaging app Telegram as the country heads toward a deeply divisive election: “There’s no censorship here,” she says.

Similar to the 2018 election that brought Bolsonaro to power, this October’s edition is shaping up as an all-out war on social media, with disinformation as a powerful weapon.