The key facts

  • Brazil's Superior Electoral Court gave Meta 24 hours to prove the neutrality of its AI systems ahead of the runoff election on October 25
  • Lula's campaign claimed suppression of content in its favor and the spread of hostile AI-generated posts
  • Meta denies favoring any candidate, arguing that its rules apply equally to everyone

Court demand

A Brazilian court gave the American company Meta 24 hours to prove that its artificial intelligence systems do not favor any candidate ahead of the presidential runoff scheduled for this Sunday, October 25. Local media reported this. The order of the Superior Electoral Court was signed by Justice Marco Aurélio Bellizze Oliveira, according to the Brazilian outlet Universo Online. It covers Meta's algorithmic systems that run the social networks Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.

Lula campaign's complaints

The company must prove that it does not restrict the distribution of political content. The campaign of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva claimed that the platforms suppressed materials in favor of the incumbent president while allowing the spread of hostile posts created with the help of AI. 'These discrepancies in metrics require explanations and immediate correction,' said Michel Bertoni, a lawyer for Lula's campaign. According to him, when a major digital platform unevenly restricts the circulation of political content, it directly undermines the regularity of elections and interferes with national sovereignty.

Grounds for the measure

The measure followed a report by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de S.Paulo, which, citing internal communications, said that Meta employees acknowledged restrictions affecting Lula's accounts, while the algorithms recommended the profile and WhatsApp channel of his rival — Flávio Bolsonaro.

Meta's position

Meta denies giving any advantage to any candidate ahead of the runoff on October 25. The company asserts that its rules apply equally to all political figures, and that internal discussions concerned the severity of public technical problems, not political bias.