Meta denies accusation of anti-Lula political bias in Brazil after electoral court ruling

Meta, the tech giant behind Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, rejected allegations of political bias during Brazil's presidential campaign, following an electoral court order requiring equal treatment for incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and challenger Flávio Bolsonaro ahead of their October 25 runoff.

The lawsuit was sparked by Lula's campaign, alleging biased algorithms and AI restrictions favoring Bolsonaro. Echoing similar European cases, Brazil's courts intervened to rectify platform imbalances. Meta attributed recent platform issues to unrelated global technical glitches, stringent anti-fraud measures, and regulatory compliance, rather than targeted suppression.

The company insisted its systems do not distribute content based on political ideology, emphasizing equal rule application. Meta clarified a technical glitch involving generic first names combined with electoral numbers that briefly prevented some users from generating images of President Lula, while still allowing it for Bolsonaro. However, it did not address why Bolsonaro's Instagram and WhatsApp channels received algorithmic recommendations, a practice deemed illegal by Brazil's electoral court.

Meta reiterated its commitment to enforcing rules, complying with Brazilian electoral legislation, correcting errors, and ensuring a level playing field for all users. The company stated that Brazilian voters deserve facts, not a political narrative constructed by combining unrelated technical issues.