Meta ordered to prove impartiality ahead of Brazil’s runoff election
In brief
- Brazilian courts gave Meta 24 hours to prove its algorithms were not biased in the presidential runoff.
- Lula’s team accuses Meta of suppressing its political content and illegally boosting Bolsonaro via algorithmic recommendations.
- Meta cites technical failures but has not explained why its tools still recommended Bolsonaro’s accounts.
Brazilian courts have given Meta 24 hours to prove it did not bias its algorithms and AI tools to influence the October 25 presidential runoff.
Lula’s team accuses Meta of restricting the visibility of its political content on Facebook and Instagram while boosting Flávio Bolsonaro through algorithmic recommendations, which are banned under Brazilian electoral law. Judge Marco Aurélio Bellizze previously fined Meta for unevenly reducing political content or removing posts. A daily penalty of 500,000 reais (€89,000) could apply if the company fails to comply.
Internal messages seen by *Folha de S.Paulo* show targeted restrictions on Lula’s Instagram account, while Bolsonaro’s profiles continued to receive algorithmic recommendations. Meta blames global technical failures but has not explained why its tools still recommended Bolsonaro’s accounts.
What it changes for you
- Public SectorPublic regulators must strengthen oversight of digital platforms to ensure fairness in election campaigns.
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