Public’s vulnerability against abusive practices of communication employed by organizations: limitations for civil monitoring

Resumo

The present article reflects on the matter of civil surveillance over abusive practices of communication employed by private organizations, addressing how such practices, focused on an attempt to corrupt public opinion, create a fuzzy category whose monitoring is permeated by obstacles and difficulties. Then specifically explores the practice of astroturfing, understood as a manifestation of a simulated public, reflecting how their logical and dynamics configure an ambiguous and indeterminate practice.