The purpose of this article is to reflect on the necessary balance between making it feasible to combat disinformation in elections and the threat inherent in this process of suppressing freedom of expression and the free circulation of ideas, which is fundamental to the full realisation of democracy and political pluralism. How can we combat the mass dissemination of lies or «fake news», which is detrimental to maintaining a tolerant and healthy political environment, given the need to guarantee the freedom and tolerance inherent in democratic societies and the risk of state authoritarianism? In the search for an answer to this dilemma, an analysis was made of concrete situations experienced in the Brazilian electoral process in recent years in the light of political philosophy relating to the issue of freedom of expression and the fight against intolerance, concluding that it is necessary to prioritise preventive measures to combat disinformation, in order to prevent judicial repression, chosen as a method of safeguarding democracy, from violating fundamental freedoms and annihilating democracy itself.
Disinformation; Elections; Freedom; Speech; Tolerance