Meta under pressure: Allegations of manipulation in the Brazilian presidential election

Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court has issued a final ultimatum to the technology conglomerate Meta, demanding proof within 24 hours that the company treats President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his conservative rival Flavio Bolsonaro equally on its digital platforms. The judicial order carries a severe financial threat: if Meta fails to demonstrate parity in content distribution, it faces a daily fine of one million reais, approximately 200,000 US dollars. This escalation comes just days before the decisive second-round presidential election scheduled for October 25, during which the two candidates remain neck and neck in polling data. The legal pressure stems from allegations that Meta, owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, systematically suppressed Lula’s campaign materials while boosting the visibility of Bolsonaro. On Thursday, a judge at the Superior Electoral Court initially mandated that Meta apply identical rules to both candidates regarding electoral content reach, search results, and recommendations. That initial ruling included a penalty of 500,000 reais per day for non-compliance. However, the court concluded on Monday that Meta had not proven it implemented the majority of these previous injunctions. The new decision cited the persistence of non-compliance in the critical days leading up to the runoff as evidence that the original fine was insufficient. Lula’s campaign team filed complaints alleging specific instances of bias. They pointed to an incident on October 9, when the president’s official Instagram account was unable to promote paid content for nearly 24 hours. Campaign estimates suggest this block prevented the message from reaching approximately 1.3 million users. Simultaneously, users searching for Lula supporter channels on WhatsApp reportedly encountered a channel supporting Bolsonaro, known as "Tropa do Flavio." Additionally, Lula accused the artificial intelligence model powering WhatsApp of selective behavior, claiming it refused to generate favorable electoral content for him while permitting such generation for his opponent. Internal communications from Meta, obtained by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo, indicate that company employees were aware of the unequal treatment. One employee described Lula’s account status as "restricted" compared to Bolsonaro’s and warned of potential legal consequences. These messages did not explicitly confirm that the disparity was politically motivated, but they confirmed staff awareness of the differential handling. Meta has categorically denied engaging in partisan manipulation. The company stated that the issues resulted from technical incidents affecting various users and advertisers globally, not solely in Brazil. It characterized the allegations against it as false and unfounded, noting that the technical errors impacted different segments of the political spectrum. Despite Meta’s denial, the dispute has drawn international attention. United States congressional representatives have requested clarification from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg regarding the situation. Lula has framed the issue as broader foreign interference, accusing the United States government of attempting to influence the election in favor of Bolsonaro. He noted that Bolsonaro’s father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is an ally of US President Donald Trump. During the campaign, Lula warned that the US sought to colonize Brazil’s political landscape. In July, following a meeting with Bolsonaro, the US imposed a 25 percent trade tariff on Brazil, a move interpreted by critics as an effort to undermine Lula’s economic standing. Public reaction in Brazil has been intense. Hundreds of protesters gathered outside Meta’s headquarters in Sao Paulo over the weekend, organized by the group Nao Se Meta. Demonstrators held signs and chanted slogans directed at Mark Zuckerberg and Donald Trump. Lilian Doring, a 47-year-old creator of animated videos, told reporters that she no longer trusts what she sees on Meta’s networks. The platforms hold immense sway in Brazilian politics, with WhatsApp used by nearly all internet users for mobilization and Instagram reaching around 147 million accounts in a nation of 215 million people. The electoral race itself has tightened significantly since the first round. Flavio Bolsonaro, 45, secured a narrow lead in the initial vote with 47.03 percent of valid votes, compared to 45.16 percent for Lula. However, recent polls show the gap narrowing as both candidates vie for undecided voters. Lula, who turns 81 next week, is seeking a fourth term. His party has taken the case to the Organization of American States alongside domestic courts. In a parallel development, the head of the Superior Electoral Court, Kassio Nunes Marques, has demanded that Meta review a WhatsApp channel called "Exercito do Lula," operated by left-wing deputy Andre Janones. The channel, created shortly after the first round, has amassed over eight million subscribers. Digital mobilization through such channels is credited with helping Lula regain ground in the polls. The court requires Meta to provide information on this channel within the same 24-hour window. Former President Jair Bolsonaro, Flavio’s father, was sentenced to 27 years in prison in 2025 for attempting to orchestrate a military coup to remove Lula from office. Despite this, the family’s political influence remains potent. As the deadline approaches, the focus shifts to whether Meta can produce documentation satisfying the court’s demand for algorithmic neutrality. The outcome of this legal battle could set a precedent for how digital platforms operate in high-stakes democratic contests worldwide. For now, the spotlight remains fixed on the intersection of code, law, and power in the final stretch of Brazil’s presidential race.