This same group was reportedly responsible, months earlier, for spreading false information defaming Rio de Janeiro's City Councillor Marielle Franco, who was murdered in March 2018.
[3] The activities of a "hate cabinet", denominated as such, were initially reported by the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo in September 2019,[4] and gained prominence from the mixed Parliamentary Inquiry Commission (CPMI) that investigated fake news in political contexts.
According to a report from the Federal Police, this is "a group that produces content and/or promotes posts on social media targeting individuals (the so-called 'targets") — the 'straw men' pre-selected by the organization members – and disseminates them through multiple communication channels.
[4] The name, chosen by the group itself,[5] derives from its primary mode of operation, which involves producing and disseminating content attacking individuals and institutions perceived as critical of the government.
[10] According to a report prepared by the Federal Police, the group follows a well-established process that consists of four stages:[11] The amplification of the content, as testified during the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry into Fake News, is propelled by the use of bots.
[6] In addition to the direct presidential advisors, Congressman Alexandre Frota alleges that content replication was boosted with the involvement of the website "Terça Livre," coordinated by blogger Allan dos Santos.