In brief
Facing a tight second‑round election, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has filed a petition with Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court to disqualify rival Flávio Bolsonaro, citing alleged unfair treatment by Meta, the owner of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The complaint accuses the tech giant of limiting Bolsonaro’s content and boosting Lula’s posts, echoing UN experts’ concerns over unequal digital campaigning. Bolsonaro has responded by filing a counter‑petition demanding Lula’s ban for eight years and accusing the government of misusing data for mass WhatsApp messaging. Both sides claim the other’s campaign was abused, while Meta denies bias and pledges compliance with court orders. The dispute underscores the growing scrutiny of social media’s role in elections as Brazilians head to the polls this Sunday.
Lula Demands Bolsonaro Disqualified Over Meta Allegations Ahead of Brazil Run‑off
In a move that could reshape the outcome of Brazil’s closest presidential runoff, incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has filed a petition with the country’s Supreme Electoral Court (TSE) demanding that his right‑wing rival, Flávio Bolsonaro, be barred from the second‑round vote. Lula’s legal team argues that Meta, the company behind Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, deliberately capped Bolsonaro’s campaign content while boosting Lula’s posts, giving the left‑wing president an unfair digital edge.
The complaint followed a UN report calling for a level playing field on social media and highlighting “temporary interruptions of one candidate’s account,” audience engagement gaps, and restrictions on Instagram posts for the Bolsonaro team. Meta has denied favouring either side and pledged to comply with any court order to treat both camps equally.
Bolsonaro counters with his own petition, accusing Lula’s administration of using government data to mass‑send WhatsApp messages promoting state programmes and appraising an eight‑year ban on Lula should the court find wrongdoing. The legal back‑and‑forth comes as voters prepare to head to the ballot boxes on Sunday, with polls showing the race narrowed to a few thousand votes.
Union representatives, election observers and tech watchdogs are closely watching the proceedings, while several activists gather outside Meta’s São Paulo office to protest what they see as undue influence in the country’s most crucial electoral moment.
