The key facts

  • The prosecutor's office demands fining Meta for incomplete compliance with TSE orders on candidate equality
  • The complaint was filed by Lula's campaign on October 19; AI translation allegedly changed the meaning of a phrase about Flavio Bolsonaro
  • Possible fine — up to 1 million reais ($198,000) per day; runoff on October 25

Prosecutor's Office Claims Against Meta

Brazil's electoral prosecutor's office, as reported by the UOL website, demanded that sanctions be applied to Meta for the alleged failure to comply with court orders requiring equal treatment of presidential candidates on social media. According to the prosecutor's office, the company did not provide all requested information about electoral content, political advertising, and measures to ensure equality between the two runoff campaigns.

Claim Against AI Translation

The prosecutor's office also expressed concern about the company's artificial intelligence tools, including the translation feature, which, it is claimed, changed the meaning of a comment about a candidate. The campaign of incumbent President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva gave an example: the phrase 'Flavio futuro presidiario' ('Flavio — future inmate') was translated as 'Flavio future president' ('Flavio — future president'). This refers to Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the eldest son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, Lula's rival.

Complaint From Lula's Campaign

The case began with a complaint filed by Lula's campaign on October 19, in which Meta was accused of violating court orders and favoring Bolsonaro's campaign, the newspaper O Globo reported. According to the campaign, posts by Lula's coalition and its supporters were subjected to restrictions, while content supporting Bolsonaro received more favorable treatment. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) had previously ordered Meta to ensure equal treatment of political content across all its platforms.

Partial Compliance and Possible Fine

The prosecutor's office acknowledged that Meta lifted restrictions on Lula's campaign account and suspended part of the unauthorized political advertising. However, in the agency's view, the remaining materials presented were incomplete or insufficient to confirm full compliance with the orders. The decision on the fine will be made by the TSE; according to UOL, Meta could face a fine of up to 1 million reais (about $198,000) per day for non-compliance. The case has heightened attention to the role of social media in the presidential election runoff scheduled for October 25. In the first round on October 4, Bolsonaro received 47.3% of valid votes and Lula 45.2%, according to official results.