October 1, 2025

Smart infrastructure, techno-authoritarianism, and the threat to democracy in Brazil

Puntos clave

The commentary highlights the link between smart city initiatives and rising techno-authoritarianism in Brazil.
Surveillance technologies influence urban governance, often bypassing democratic processes and civic participation.
Corporate-led policymaking in smart infrastructure raises concerns over transparency and human rights.
Brazil's situation reflects a global trend where digital tools are used to control and commodify urban residents.

Resumen

This commentary examines how Brazil's smart city agenda enables techno-authoritarianism, drawing on eight years of fieldwork and policy and legal analysis. It focuses on the use of surveillance technologies and the influence of foreign and local tech companies in shaping urban governance through opaque, corporate-led policymaking. It discusses how smart infrastructures are deployed under the guise of innovation, often bypassing democratic processes and civic participation. These developments reflect a broader global trend of “technosolutionist urbanism,” where digital infrastructure is used to monitor, control, and commodify residents. The Brazilian case underscores the urgent need for a justice-based, transparent, and participatory framework for smart infrastructure governance, centering human rights and democratic accountability in the face of rising techno-authoritarianism.

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