By Andreia Lobato | 2025-05-05

RIO DE JANEIRO -- The Chinese-owned platform Kwai, one of Brazil's most popular short-form video apps, has selectively amplified certain topics and encouraged content creators to produce videos on specific issues -- in what appears to be an effort to manipulate public discourse in the country.

In exchange, some influencers reportedly receive perks, including boosted visibility and cash rewards.

Brazilian content creators Ivan Vieira, Henrique Lopes and Marko Patricio told local media in April they had participated in campaigns coordinated by the platform and raised concerns about the risk of manipulated content surfacing in users' feeds.

Documents obtained by the Lupa Journalism Agency and published in early April reveal that the strategy is part of a broader, organized scheme.

Shaping political debate

In late March, according to sources cited by the Lupa Journalism Agency, a campaign organized by the Chinese generated an extra 5,000 views for participating creators.

Vieira, a law student and influencer, told Lupa she declined to join the campaign and warned of the platform's power to amplify selected content.

"A video that would normally get 10,000 views can hit 50,000 or even 100,000 if it's promoted from the start. That's crucial for going viral," he said.

Lopes said Kwai's suggested content often outperforms organic posts and can help creators meet viewership goals tied to financial rewards.

According to data shared with Lupa, a single campaign generated at least 231 videos, amassing nearly 300,000 views and almost 15,000 likes within days.

Topics that reportedly received the most visibility included the trials of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's supporters, protests in Argentina in mid-March and US tariffs on China.

Content missions

Brazilian creators interviewed by the Lupa Journalism Agency said the Chinese-owned app assigns them regular "missions" -- daily tasks suggesting topics to cover.

"From time to time, they send missions with daily tasks, suggesting topics that should be addressed," said Lopes, adding that the instructions often come from accounts like "Kwai Notícias," which the handlers reportedly deactivated after the allegations surfaced.

Patricio confirmed the practice, saying the assignments usually include incentives. "They send us the news, we talk about it, and in return, they give us a boost, or even money."

Screenshots published by Lupa show sharing of the guidelines via direct messages and WhatsApp groups.

Influencers also said that content aligned with these suggested narratives receives more visibility, while the Chinese suppress other videos.

"If it doesn't match what they want to push, the reach drops," said Vieira.

Content contests

Beyond daily assignments sent via direct messages, the Chinese-owned app Kwai runs weekly competitions through WhatsApp groups with registered Brazilian creators. Participants post videos on suggested topics, earning points based on view counts.

Prizes typically range from $8 to $10 per video, with additional incentives such as algorithmic boosts for higher-performing content.

In a statement to the Lupa Journalism Agency published in early April, Kwai said it was conducting an internal investigation and had implemented "strict measures to ensure that incidents like this do not happen again."

A January 2024 exposé in Piauí magazine, part of Folha de S. Paulo, revealed a broader pattern of manipulation at Kwai in Brazil, including during the lead-up to the 2022 presidential election.

The report, based on internal documents and interviews with current and former employees, outlined how the platform cloned user profiles by importing videos and captions without permission to artificially inflate engagement. These cloned profiles included those belonging to institutions such as the São Paulo Court of Justice.

To attract and retain Brazil's reported 48 million users, Kwai outsourced viral content production to third-party agencies. According to Piauí, this strategy led to the spread of misinformation, such as fake news about vaccines, electronic voting machines and claims of a military intervention ahead of the 2022 presidential election.

"'KwaiCuts' is the internal term for content commissioned by the platform," the report noted. "In its war for audience growth, Kwai buys whatever it thinks will go viral, even if it's fake or misleading."