Hacking Parties: How Bolsonarism Became a Digital Power Machine

Researchers argue that Bolsonarism operates as a “digital party,” challenging traditional political system rules.

In a report released by CCI/Cebrap, scholars proposed the hypothesis that the “digital party” is an organized structure competing for political and electoral power outside formal institutions and legislation. The study emphasizes that while it leverages the Liberal Party (PL) framework, the Bolsonarist Digital Party (PDB) is distinct from it and functions as a parallel entity—with autonomous strategies and even members unaffiliated with the PL.

The research is part of a broader project exploring the “digital party” hypothesis. The team employed mixed methods, including:

• Analyzing 10 PL lawmakers’ behavior during key national debates
• Field research and electoral monitoring
• Qualitative tracking of social networks

Collaborative analysis with Brief project and Democracia em Xeque initiative on politicians’ digital networks.
“Bolsonarism isn’t merely a leader-centric movement but an organizational form born in the digital environment—one that hacks the traditional party system for electoral competition,” explains Ana Cláudia Chaves Teixeira (CCI/Cebrap Digital Politics researcher and Unicamp political science professor). “By operating parallelly, the digital party bypasses electoral laws, funding rules, and mobilizes its base innovatively.”

A Party Beyond the Rules

The study found the PDB operates both complementarily and tensely with the PL, exploiting digital tools to mobilize supporters and influence public debate. Unformalized, it evades legal and electoral regulations while maintaining a clear agenda and organized base for political competition.

Click here to download the full research report.