Combating disinformation and guaranteeing the right to freedom of expression

Interview with Helena Martins

Abstract

In recent years, the public debate on the need to combat disinformation and the importance of guaranteeing freedom of expression has become a field of dispute for different narratives. The problem is approached from an antagonistic and excluding perspective: either the fight against disinformation or the right to freedom of expression is guaranteed. After all, is there a right to freedom of expression without a right to reliable information? This is the focus of the discussion proposed by researcher Helena Martins in this interview given to Linguagem em Foco. Martins is a professor at the Federal University of Ceará and studies the intertwined relationship between politics, technology and the communication market. The interview was conducted by Professor Rafael Rodrigues and doctoral student Paulo Jefferson Barreto. There are eight questions, addressing the disinformation scenario in Brazil a few days after the 2022 presidential elections; the role and responses of large digital media companies to the problem; the advance of hate speech; the current crisis of confidence that affects democratic institutions and the future of the communication ecosystem in a context of resurgence of disinformation.