Aláfia Lab

What Aláfia Lab does

Aláfia Lab is an independent, non-profit multidisciplinary research laboratory founded in 2022 and headquartered in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. It produces reference knowledge on internet, communication, and society, organized around four lines of action: human rights violations on networks, informational inequalities and political polarization, combating disinformation, and information integrity. Its portfolio consists of research projects and a journalism platform rather than commercial technology products.

The lab's core outputs include the Observatório de Racismo nas Redes, an applied research initiative monitoring racist content across social networks using historical Disque 100 data; the Observatório IA nas Eleições, co-developed with Data Privacy Brasil, which catalogs generative AI misuse in Brazilian electoral processes; *Desinformante, a weekly journalism platform with an AI-focused section ('IAí?'); the annual Desigualdades Informativas series producing nationally representative surveys (1,500+ respondents); and EntreVistas, field research with peripheral youth in partnership with S19. Outputs are distributed freely through the website, the *Desinformante portal, YouTube, a newsletter, and a press clipping function that captures coverage in O Globo, Folha de S.Paulo, TV Brasil, and others.

The organization is funded by institutional grants from foundations including Internet Brasil (IBI), Luminate, Open Society Foundations, Serrapilheira, Omidyar Network, Meedan, and Derechos Digitales. Its go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, centered on civil society dialogue, academic collaboration, and policy advisory to bodies such as the TSE and CIDH. In 2025, the lab underwent an executive leadership transition that drove organizational restructuring, advisory board reform, and team expansion from 8 to approximately 11 core members.

Name

Aláfia Lab

Legal name

Aláfia Lab

Website

https://alafialab.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aláfia Lab is an independent Brazilian non-profit research laboratory founded in 2022 in Salvador, Bahia, producing digital policy research on misinformation, racism on networks, AI governance, and informational inequalities for civil society, academia, electoral authorities, and media.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Salvador

HQ country

Brazil

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Grants and Support: Aláfia Lab operates as a non-profit independent research laboratory funded by institutional supporters and grants. Current/active supporters include Internet Brasil (IBI), Luminate, and Open Society Foundations. Past/completed supporters include Serrapilheira, Omidyar Network, Meedan, and Derechos Digitales. Funding is used to sustain research operations, team, and project activities across all four lines of action.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aláfia Lab is an independent, multidisciplinary research laboratory that produces reference knowledge on internet, communication, and society. It conducts research on misinformation, racism in digital networks, AI governance, and informational inequalities, operating specialized observatories (Observatório IA nas Eleições, Observatório de Racismo nas Redes), a journalistic platform (*Desinformante), and an annual nationally representative survey series (Desigualdades Informativas). All research outputs, publications, and educational materials are freely available to civil society, academia, government, and media.

Product overview

Aláfia Lab is an independent, multidisciplinary research laboratory focused on digital policy, operating as a research and civil society organization rather than a technology product company. Its portfolio consists entirely of research projects, journalistic initiatives, and publications studying internet, communication, and society phenomena. Key offerings include the Observatório de Racismo nas Redes (monitoring racist content on social media), *Desinformante (journalistic coverage of misinformation), the Desigualdades Informativas annual research series (studying information inequalities among Brazilians), the EntreVistas project (research with peripheral youth on digital media literacy), the Observatório IA nas Eleições (tracking generative AI in electoral contexts), and the É Tudo Mentira? journalistic series. All outputs are research-based publications and reports rather than commercial software products or platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• *desinformante: A journalistic project that produces reliable information about disinformation, analyzing its impact on society and discussing ways to combat it through weekly articles and audiovisual content.
• Observatório de Racismo nas Redes
• Desigualdades Informativas
• Observatório IA nas Eleições
• EntreVistas

Quantifiable outcome

• 452 reports of racism in digital environments recorded in Brazil in 2024 (highest in historical series), analyzed and published by Aláfia Lab
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Data Privacy BrasilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Data Privacy Brasil for the Observatório IA nas Eleições (AI in Elections Observatory), an online repository tracking cases of generative AI misuse in Brazilian electoral processes. Both organizations jointly monitor, analyze, and publish findings on AI threats to democracy.
• Artigo 19 Brasil e América do SulcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Artigo 19 on policy advocacy and electoral regulation analysis. Jointly published technical notes analyzing TSE electoral resolution changes for 2026, focusing on AI use, content boosting, and platform responsibilities.
• IRIS (Instituto de Referência em Internet e Sociedade)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with IRIS for joint policy advocacy on electoral regulations. Collaborated on the Beabá da Propaganda Eleitoral na Internet guide for 2026 elections, explaining electoral rules for the internet environment.
• S19 (Associação 19 de Setembro)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with S19 for the EntreVistas project, conducting research and training with peripheral youth from Natal, Belém, and São Paulo. S19 operates popular preparatory courses (cursinhos populares) across several Brazilian capitals. 15 youth multipliers were trained over five months.
• Alma PretaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Alma Preta (journalistic outlet focused on Black communities) for the 'É Tudo Mentira?' series on disinformation in electoral contexts.
• Sala de Articulação contra Desinformação (SAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Sala de Articulação contra Desinformação (SAD), a national coalition working on disinformation coordination and advocacy in Brazil.
• Pacto pela DemocraciacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Pacto pela Democracia, a national coalition for democratic engagement and civic participation.
• Global Coalition for Tech Justice (GCTJ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Global Coalition for Tech Justice, an international coalition addressing technology governance and digital rights globally.
• Forum on Information and Democracy (FID)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Forum on Information and Democracy. Contributed research findings to the Forum's 2026 report on private messaging platforms and disinformation regulation, representing the Southern Global perspective.
• Global South Alliance (GSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Global South Alliance, an international coalition of researchers and organizations from the Global South focused on digital governance and information integrity.
• I4T KnowledgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of I4T Knowledge, an international knowledge network focused on technology and governance.
• coLAB (UFF - Universidade Federal Fluminense)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with coLAB at UFF for disinformation research in right-wing WhatsApp and Telegram groups during the 2024 municipal elections. Analyzed message data from political groups.
• Democracia em XequecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Democracia em Xeque (civil society organization) for research on disinformation in right-wing messaging groups during 2024 elections.
• LABHD-UFBA (Laboratório de Humanidades Digitais da UFBA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with LABHD-UFBA for the report 'Do Meme ao Ódio' analyzing how racism manifests on digital platforms (Instagram and Telegram).
• TSE (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral)coreOthersPartnership with TSE for development of educational materials including the cartilha 'Desinformação e Racismo digital: desafios e caminhos para a equidade racial' with updated data on the phenomenon.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Access Now: International digital rights organization defending and extending the digital rights of users at risk worldwide. Comparable in mission and policy advocacy style, with broader geographic scope and significantly larger resources.
• Mozilla Foundation: Foundation supporting internet health, trustworthy AI, and digital rights research globally. Comparable in the intersection of research, journalism, and policy advocacy around healthy information ecosystems.
• Electronic Frontier Foundation: Long-standing international digital civil liberties organization. Comparable in mission to defend digital rights, freedom of expression, and information integrity, with much larger global reach and resources.
• Center for Democracy & Technology: US-based non-profit working to strengthen individual rights and democratic values in the digital age. Comparable in producing research that informs policy and regulation on platform governance and AI.

Emerging players

• Meedan: Technology non-profit building digital tools for verification and human rights documentation. Past institutional supporter of Aláfia Lab; comparable in journalism-adjacent, technology-enabled information integrity work.
• Núcleo de Pesquisa em Internet, Direito e Política (NuPID): Brazilian research nucleus focused on intersections between internet, law, and policy. Comparable as a small, Brazil-based academic research group producing work on digital regulation and rights.

Direct peers

• InternetLab: Brazilian independent research center producing empirical research on internet regulation, freedom of expression, and digital rights. Closely comparable in mission, methodology, and target audience (civil society, regulators, academia).
• Data Privacy Brasil: Brazilian research association focused on privacy, data protection, and digital rights. Direct strategic partner on the Observatório IA nas Eleições, with overlapping research focus on AI governance and electoral integrity in Brazil.
• Artigo 19 Brasil: Brazilian and South American chapter of Article 19, focused on freedom of expression and information access. Strategic partner on TSE electoral regulation analysis; highly comparable in policy advocacy and digital rights focus.

Regional players

• Derechos Digitales: Latin American digital rights organization operating across Spanish-speaking South America. Past institutional supporter of Aláfia Lab and a natural peer in the regional digital rights ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alafialab

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Aláfia Lab