OMM Newsroom
A Brazilian court has given US technology company “Meta” 24 hours to prove that its artificial intelligence systems do not favor either candidate ahead of next Sunday’s presidential runoff, Anadolu Agency reported, citing local media.
The Superior Electoral Court order, signed by magistrate Marco Aurelio Bellizze Oliveira, applies to algorithmic systems used to manage “Instagram”, “Facebook” and “WhatsApp”, Brazilian outlet Universo Online reported.
The company must demonstrate that it is not restricting the distribution of political content. Lula’s campaign has alleged that material favorable to the incumbent was suppressed while hostile posts generated by artificial intelligence were allowed to spread.
“These inconsistencies in metrics demand explanations and immediate correction,” said Michel Bertoni, a lawyer representing Lula’s campaign.
Bertoni argued that when a major digital platform restricts political content unevenly, it directly compromises electoral regularity and interferes with national sovereignty.
The order follows reporting by Brazilian daily Folha de S.Paulo, which cited internal communications indicating that “Meta” employees acknowledged restrictions affecting Lula’s accounts, while algorithms recommended the profile and “WhatsApp” channel of challenger Flavio Bolsonaro.
“Meta” denied giving preferential treatment to any candidate ahead of the Oct. 25 runoff vote. The company said its rules apply equally to all political figures and that internal discussions focused on the severity of public technical issues, rather than political bias.
