ASTROTURFING AND DIGITAL TRANSPARENCY: CHALLENGES AND IMPACTS ON CONSUMER LAW

Abstract

With the advent and advancement of technology, the exchange of instant messages between people has become global. However, this progress has brought with it problematic practices that violate citizens' fundamental rights. One of these is astroturfing, which consists of the creation of strategies or campaigns by groups or companies, through the false impression of popular support or genuine public opinion about something, to manipulate the opinion and power of choice of consumers, negatively affecting the consumer chain. From this perspective, the research aims to analyze the impact of astroturfing on consumer relations law, exploring how these manipulative practices affect the right to clear, truthful and objective information and consumer freedom of decision. The aim is also to see how Brazilian legislation deals with the practice, what impact it has on consumer relations and what changes are needed to improve national legislation. To do this, we used a qualitative-quantitative methodology, analyzing market data and reports; a bibliographic methodology, consulting articles, monographs and specialized doctrine; and a legislative methodology, analyzing the Federal Constitution and the Consumer Protection Code. It was concluded that astroturfing directly and negatively affects consumer relations, as it generates false support for the purchase of products and services and manipulates consumers' perception of them. Furthermore, the lack of specific legislation, inspection and punishment contributes to the persistence of the phenomenon, and it is essential to modify Brazilian legislation.