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São Paulo: Meta Tells Brazil's Electoral Court It Treats Lula and Bolsonaro Campaigns Equally
Meta says it has implemented 17 measures to comply with the court's equal-treatment order; Lula's campaign is separately seeking Flávio Bolsonaro's disqualification ahead of the Oct. 25 runoff.
Why it matters
With Brazil's presidential runoff just days away (Oct. 25), Meta has been pulled into the center of the campaign: Lula's camp accuses it of algorithm bias favoring his rival, the court ordered corrective action on a 24-hour deadline, and Meta submitted its compliance filing on Tuesday. It's the latest flashpoint over platforms' role in elections worldwide.
Full report
Meta told Brazil's Superior Electoral Court on Tuesday, Oct. 20, that it has implemented measures to ensure equal treatment of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro's presidential campaigns on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. In a nine-page filing seen by Reuters, Meta listed 17 initiatives and attached a technical declaration stating that content related to both campaigns is treated equally and non-discriminatorily.
The court had given Meta 24 hours on Monday to prove compliance, threatening daily fines of 500,000 reais (about US$98,000). Under the filing, any automated restrictions on the two campaigns' ad accounts must undergo human review within two hours, remaining in place until Sunday's runoff. Meta denies political bias, blaming earlier incidents on technical limitations.
Tensions escalated in the final week: Lula's campaign complained to the court on Oct. 15, alleging Meta's algorithms and AI restrictions favored Bolsonaro; hundreds protested outside Meta's office in São Paulo on Oct. 19; and per AFP via Folha de S. Paulo, Lula's camp will ask the court to disqualify Flávio Bolsonaro over alleged Meta interference. Meta also removed 720 improperly labeled AI-generated posts.
Background: in the Oct. 4 first round, Flávio Bolsonaro — son of former president Jair Bolsonaro — took 47% to Lula's 45%, with polls showing a technical tie. Lula seeks a fourth non-consecutive term; Bolsonaro has promised to free his father, who is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest over an attempted coup.
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