The ‘new age’ of political participation? WhatsApp and call to action on the Brazilian senate’s consultations on the e-cidadania portal

Abstract

ABSTRACT Mobile Instant Messaging Services (MIMS) were first used for political campaigning in the 2018 Brazilian elections; they were also used for engaging people in public consultations. This article aims to analyze the specifics of the call to action used on WhatsApp for consultations on the Brazilian Senate’s e-Cidadania Portal during the 2018 electoral campaign. Moreover, our research aims to understand the extent to which the calls to action were used in the campaign during a time of strong political polarization in the country. The methodology consists of a content analysis aimed at understanding the message content of the consultations, how that content was shared, and similarities between this call to action and the electoral campaign strategies. The results show that this call to action caused a participatory distortion on that particular Portal, the topics covered were part of the elected candidate’s campaign platform, and the strategy was maintained after elections.