Brazilian prosecutors fear the feature could be used to spread misinformation around the country’s upcoming election.
The Ministério Público Federal (MPF) has asked WhatsApp not to launch its Communities feature in Brazil until 2023 due to concerns about it being used to spread misinformation.
Brazil will hold its general election—which determines the next President, Vice President, and National Congress as well as other political leaders—on Oct. 2. That means it’s critical for the Brazilian government to combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation in the country.
That’s where Communities comes in. WhatsApp announced the feature, which allows organizations to collect otherwise disparate group chats into a single place, in April. The feature is supposed to launch this year, but MPF wants it to be held back in Brazil until next January.
