Government through social media raises risks in Brazil

Subject

Social media and "new politics".

Significance

Early in March, millions of Brazilians were shocked and perplexed by a tweet from President Jair Bolsonaro, in which he shared an obscene video of two people performing sex acts in public, which he described as an illustration of what many Carnival street parties have become.

Impacts

• Bolsonaro’s falling approval ratings suggest that his aggressive and polarising communication strategy will not work in his favour.
• There is scepticism about Bolsonaro’s ability to govern through social media without winning political support in Congress.
• Widespread access indicates that future election campaigns will also focus on social media rather than television.