Addressing the Reality of Misinformation in Portugal

Portuguese researchers have identified a significant wave of disinformation during the country’s presidential election campaign, with far-right candidate André Ventura responsible for the vast majority of false content circulating online.

The findings come from a monitoring study by LabCom’s Political Disinformation Observatory (ODEPOL), which began tracking misinformation across major social media platforms on November 17, 2025, coinciding with the first televised debate between Ventura and António José Seguro.

According to researchers João Canavilhas and Branco Di Fátima, disinformation during the campaign period reached 7.7 million views across social networks, generating over 324,000 reactions, nearly 52,000 comments, and more than 24,500 shares. These figures reflect “a high level of user engagement with disinformation content” and demonstrate a “significant impact on the digital public space,” the researchers noted.

The four-week monitoring period uncovered 14 distinct cases of disinformation, with Ventura, who represents the right-wing Chega party, responsible for 85.7% of the identified incidents. The remaining cases originated from candidates whose nominations were later rejected by Portugal’s Constitutional Court, including Joana Amaral Dias.

Video emerged as the dominant medium for spreading false information, accounting for 71.4% of cases, while photographs were used in 28.6% of instances. The researchers categorized the disinformation into four types: discrediting media and journalists (42.9%), manipulated content (28.6%), falsification of information (21.4%), and use of false context (7.1%).

Twitter’s successor platform X proved to be the primary channel for disinformation, featuring in 92.9% of cases. Meta’s newer platform Threads was involved in 28.6% of incidents, while TikTok accounted for 21%.

The study highlighted one particularly impactful case from January 1, when Ventura shared a video originally from Spanish newspaper OK Diário showing a fire at Amsterdam’s Vondelkerk Church on New Year’s Eve. While the original video claimed the fire started after “several immigrants threw fireworks” at the building—which has functioned as a cultural center rather than a church since 1977—Ventura added the caption “Islamisation of Europe” to his post.

This single post received over one million views, more than 40,000 reactions, 6,197 comments, and 3,487 shares, reaching an estimated 436,167 unique users. The researchers emphasized that this case “exemplifies how the introduction of an ideological frame can amplify informative narratives” and accelerate their dissemination in the public sphere.

The researchers noted that OK Diário’s original reporting made no connection to the Muslim community, and the newspaper later edited its content after facing criticism from readers.

This pattern of disinformation raises significant concerns about electoral integrity in Portugal, where social media increasingly shapes public opinion. The researchers stressed “the need for continuous monitoring throughout the electoral process” to counter the spread of false information.

The prevalence of disinformation tactics by a leading presidential candidate underscores broader European concerns about the rise of far-right politics and the role of social media in amplifying divisive rhetoric, particularly content targeting religious and immigrant communities.