Brazil's Federal Police launched an operation Thursday to investigate coordinated social-media attacks intended to damage the credibility of the Central Bank [1].
This investigation marks a significant escalation in the government's efforts to protect financial institutions from digital disinformation campaigns. Because the Central Bank manages monetary policy and economic stability, coordinated attempts to erode public trust in the institution could potentially trigger market volatility or economic instability.
The action represents the 10th phase of Operation Compliance Zero [1]. The Federal Police said they are focusing on the use of social networks to spread content designed to undermine the bank's authority and reputation [1].
One of the primary targets of the operation is Thiago Miranda [1]. Miranda is the owner of Miranda Comunicação, a firm also known as Agência MiThi [1]. The police said they are investigating whether this agency played a role in organizing the coordinated activity on social platforms [1].
While the Federal Police confirmed the launch of the 10th phase on Thursday, Nov. 9 [1], specific locations of the searches and seizures were not disclosed. The operation is part of a broader effort to identify the actors and funding behind campaigns that target state institutions [1].
Thiago Miranda and Agência MiThi have not yet issued public statements regarding the specific allegations. The Federal Police said they continue to analyze the evidence gathered during the raids to determine the full scale of the coordinated attacks [1].
“The action represents the 10th phase of Operation Compliance Zero.”
The targeting of a professional communications agency suggests that the Brazilian government believes these attacks were not organic social media trends but rather paid, strategic campaigns. By focusing on the infrastructure of disinformation—the agencies that manage the accounts and content—the Federal Police are attempting to move beyond individual posters to the architects of the influence operations.
