New report from Instituto Democracia em Xeque compares the content governance and advertising rules of the most used digital platforms in Brazil. Aiming to contribute to the debate on Bill 2630/20 and other regulations on digital advertising in the National Congress and in civil society, the research makes a comparative analysis of the terms of service and other documentation relevant to the rules drawn up by Google Ads, Google AdSense , YouTube, Meta, TikTok, Kwai and X (Twitter) to self-regulate the production, circulation and archiving of advertisements in the Brazilian context, particularly with political and social themes.

Through documentary analysis of the Community Guidelines and advertising policies, the objective of the research is to inform and guide public bodies, the journalistic press and civil society on the governance processes adopted by platforms to promote and moderate content. For each company, we investigate four main elements: a) the requirements for creating and validating ad accounts; b) editorial rules for producing non-sponsored content and advertisements; c) the rules and procedures for approving, reviewing and contesting moderation; and d) the archiving and transparency systems for political and social advertisements, proposed in the draft Resolution of the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) on electoral propaganda in 2024.

In particular, the research indicates that all digital platforms have implemented rules on disinformation and democratic integrity, sanctioning content that puts elections at risk. However, the specific terms of the ban vary significantly, ranging from instrumental/utilitarian aspects, such as removing misinformation about the voting date, to more systemic elements, such as suspicion or fraud of the electoral system.

We identified that TikTok, Kwai and Even if the platforms choose not to officially allow the publication of posts sponsored by candidates and parties in the 2024 municipal election, we warn of the difficulty in preventing the publication of apocryphal advertisements, whether or not linked to the campaign committee.

Access the full report here.