The key facts
- Lula and Flavio Bolsonaro mutually seek each other's disqualification ahead of Sunday's runoff
- The TSE gave Meta 24 hours to prove equal treatment of the campaigns under threat of a fine of ~$200,000 per day
- In the first round Bolsonaro won 47% against Lula's 45%; polls show a technical tie
Mutual lawsuits amid the election race
Both candidates in the runoff of Brazil's presidential election have announced their intention to seek each other's disqualification amid accusations of social media abuses, AFP reports citing court documents and campaign headquarters. The headquarters of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva announced on Tuesday that it would file a lawsuit with the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) on Wednesday seeking the disqualification of his right-wing rival Flavio Bolsonaro over alleged Meta interference in the election. Later on Tuesday, Bolsonaro's team filed its own lawsuit, seen by AFP, accusing Lula of 'abuse of power' over the mass distribution of government publications on WhatsApp during the campaign.
Accusations against Meta
Lula's lawsuit concerns alleged 'algorithmic manipulation' by Meta which, according to the campaign, was directed against his chances of victory. This was first reported on Monday by the newspaper Folha de S. Paulo. Campaign coordinator Senator Camilo Santana later told journalists that the lawsuit would be filed on Wednesday. On Monday, the TSE gave Meta 24 hours to prove compliance with an order on equal treatment of both campaigns, threatening a daily fine of about $200,000. On Tuesday, Meta and lawyers from both campaigns met at the TSE, a court source said.
Meta's response and measures
Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, said on Tuesday: 'We have completed the implementation of measures to comply with the Superior Electoral Court's ruling.' The company denied acting in favor of either side, but previously acknowledged that some of Lula's campaign ads had been mistakenly disabled due to technical glitches. Lula's campaign also pointed to the inconsistency of WhatsApp's AI tool: content associated with Lula was restricted, while Bolsonaro's content was not. Among the measures taken, Meta said that only candidates and parties registered with the electoral court may now place ads on its networks, and that the company removed 720 posts with AI-generated content lacking proper labeling. Meta's oversight board in London said there were recurring failures in content about Brazil's presidential election and the US congressional elections.
Protests and external context
On Monday, dozens of Lula's supporters protested outside the company's office in Sao Paulo with placards and slogans such as 'Meta, out of Brazil.' Lula, 80, also accused the US government of interfering in the election in favor of Flavio Bolsonaro. US President Donald Trump has not yet officially endorsed Bolsonaro, 45, but called his unexpected result in the first round 'a very, very big victory.' In the first round earlier this month, Bolsonaro received 47% of the vote against 45% for the incumbent president; polls show a technical tie ahead of Sunday's runoff. The winner will either keep the country of 214 million people as a left-wing stronghold in Latin America or bring it into the ranks of right-wing administrations loyal to Trump.
Campaign context
According to AFP, the unexpected first-round result energized the left: Lula's headquarters has since held mass rallies and tried to strengthen its social media presence. The candidate's father, former president Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a 27-year sentence under house arrest for an attempted coup after his defeat to Lula in 2022. Flavio Bolsonaro has vowed to free his father if he wins the election.
