Meta said it had completed the measures required by the Superior Electoral Court, after the court gave it 24 hours to show equal treatment of Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro.
De Standaard reported a fine of 500,000 reais per day (about 88,500 euros), which the court doubled after Meta did not respond to the ruling, while Il Sole 24 Ore put the threat at more than 200,000 euros a day.
Folha de São Paulo obtained Meta messages in which one employee called Lula's account 'restricted'. The messages do not prove the disadvantage was politically intended.
A NetLab study of 7,677 ads from 16 August to 4 October found PT paid 33% to 43% more than PL in three significant estimates, but none held up after the methodological review.
The WhatsApp group with more than ten million followers was suspended on 11 October at Flávio Bolsonaro's request, and on 23 October a judge sent any measure against it to the full court.
Lula's campaign took its complaint to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) after supporters said their posts were disappearing or reaching very few people. The campaign alleges that Meta restricted content favouring Lula and boosted Flávio Bolsonaro, the Liberal Party senator and centre-right leader in the runoff on Sunday, 25 October. On 9 October, Lula's team could not pay to promote already published Instagram posts for almost 24 hours, while Flávio Bolsonaro's profile was recommended to Instagram users even though algorithmic recommendations of presidential candidates are barred. Judge Marco Aurélio Bellizze accepted the campaign's request and ruled that the platform may not reduce the distribution of political content. The TSE then gave Meta 24 hours to show it treats both candidates fairly. Il Sole 24 Ore put the threatened penalty at more than 200,000 euros a day, while De Standaard reported a fine of 500,000 reais per day (about 88,500 euros), which the court doubled after Meta did not respond. The court also demanded evidence that campaigns on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp run fairly.
Meta said it had completed the measures needed to comply with the TSE decision. It blamed the problem with Lula's boosted posts on a 'technical glitch' and denies any manipulation. Meta's independent oversight board concluded that the company is not doing enough to keep election campaigns fair and is not transparent enough about its moderation policy, according to De Standaard. Folha de São Paulo obtained internal Meta messages showing that staff knew about the unequal treatment. One employee described Lula's account as 'restricted' and warned of possible legal consequences. The messages do not show that the disadvantage was politically intended.
A second dispute concerns the WhatsApp group 'Exército de Lula', which has more than ten million followers and is run by André Janones, a digital strategist in Lula's campaign who was elected deputy for Minas Gerais. TSE president Kassio Nunes Marques had suspended the channel on 11 October at Flávio Bolsonaro's request, over suspected disinformation. On Thursday, 22 October, Nunes Marques gave Meta 24 hours to submit a detailed report on the group's activity. On Friday, 23 October, judge Floriano Marques ruled that any individual measure against the group has a serious defect of competence and must go before the full court. Meta said the group does not violate its policies.
On Thursday, 22 October, Instagram removed a video by MC Cabelinho from the Revelando project shortly after its launch, citing excessive use of artificial intelligence. The video criticizes Flávio Bolsonaro, and Lula's campaign cited the removal as unequal treatment. Cueva, the electoral corregedor-geral handling the campaign's case, ordered Meta to have the material reviewed by a human. He said the evidence so far does not show differential treatment based on political orientation, but that the episode
“justifies taking steps to clarify the grounds for the removal and to ensure its prompt re-evaluation.”
A NetLab study published on Friday, 23 October, analyzed 7,677 political ads run on Meta platforms between 16 August and 4 October, with data pulled on 8 October through Meta's Ad Library API. In three of four statistically significant estimates, the Workers' Party (PT) paid between 33% and 43% more than the Liberal Party (PL) to reach the same number of people. After a methodological review, none of the estimates was statistically significant, so the data do not support a firm claim that PT paid more. The researchers added that the review does not show prices were equal either, given the small number of pages linked to the two parties. UN special rapporteur Gina Romero urged Meta not to influence the Brazilian election, writing that the digital space must be free of inappropriate interference. Bernie Sanders wrote to Mark Zuckerberg on Thursday asking whether the company had contact with Donald Trump about the Brazilian vote. US congress members have also asked Zuckerberg for clarification, according to NZZ.
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support PollarElections · Brasília
Brazil's electoral court pressed Meta to explain how it treats the two presidential campaigns before the 25 October runoff. Meta says it has complied, while Lula's team says its content was restricted.
AI text based on reports by Il Sole 24 ORE, Notícias ao Minuto, Neue Zürcher Zeitung and other publishers. Published .