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Irregular ads calling for cuts and votes for Marçal circulate on TikTok

Folha de S. Paulo - September 17, 2024



More than one hundred boosted videos in which São Paulo mayoral candidate Pablo Marçal (PRTB) promises cash prizes to those who make viral clips of videos promoting his image, in addition to advertisements with explicit requests to vote for the self-proclaimed former coach, circulated on TikTok between May 1 and September 16. The paid ads had more than 1 million views.


The political propaganda in favor of Marçal was purchased through TikTok accounts registered in Brazil, Spain, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, France, Ireland, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, according to a survey by Netlab at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in ad libraries in each country. The ads are in Portuguese.


For Marie Santini, director of NetLab, the ads with target audiences in other countries may be a strategy to try to circumvent moderation in Brazil, where the Electoral Court does not allow political ads on the internet paid for by third parties. "We don't know if they are also being aired here in Brazil, as TikTok doesn't have an ad library in the country," he says.


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