{
  "id": 14347231,
  "title": "Lula, Bolsonaro ordered to call off attempts at online censorship",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/lula-bolsonaro-ordered-to-call-off-attempts-at-online-censorship",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-14T02:07:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today-freemalays",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/world/2026/10/14/lula-bolsonaro-ordered-to-call-off-attempts-at-online-censorship"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Brazil's electoral court issued a stern warning to presidential candidates Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Flavio Bolsonaro to cease their legal battle over social media censorship in their campaigns. The bitter rivals have jointly filed the highest number of censorship requests alleging misinformation from their opponents. Bolsonaro, the son of former far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, is predicted to win the October 25 runoff, following his narrow victory in the first round. The Superior Electoral Court (TSE) cautioned that the \"judicialization of the electoral process\" could obstruct debate. The TSE recorded 162 legal challenges following the first round, more than triple the number in the same period ahead of the 2022 elections.\n\nA contentious issue arose when pro-Lula congressman created the WhatsApp channel \"Lula's Army,\" boasting over four million followers. Bolsonaro's supporters accused the channel of spreading misinformation, including claims that the senator would eliminate social benefits if elected. Lula's campaign denied these allegations. In response, Lula announced the creation of Lula's Army, Navy, and Air Force on WhatsApp, stating it to be the most cost-effective way to campaign. The TSE has sanctioned the channel.\n\nThe controversy escalated when Lula's Workers Party accused tech giant Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, of meddling in the election after the platform restricted some of its content. The TSE requested explanations from Meta, which cited \"technical problems\" globally. Lula's campaign also complained that Google's AI tool, Gemini, disseminated false statements attributed to the incumbent. After the first round, Lula actively engaged with politicians boasting millions of followers, proclaiming himself \"king of the selfie,\" despite previously declining to use a cellphone.",
  "summary": "The campaigns of bitter election rivals have filed a record number of censorship requests over alleged online misinformation from the opposing camp.",
  "key_points": [
    "Brazil's electoral court warns Lula, Bolsonaro to stop online censorship battle",
    "Superior Electoral Court records 162 legal challenges, triple of 2022",
    "Lula's WhatsApp channel accused of spreading misinformation by Bolsonaro supporters"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Lula, Bolsonaro ordered to call off attempts at online censorship",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/lula-bolsonaro-ordered-to-call-off-attempts-at-online-censorship-14349058",
        "published": "2026-10-14T02:07:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}