Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his campaign accuse Meta—owner of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—of election interference during the runoff campaign. Multiple outlets report that Lula’s team says Meta restricted the reach of his posts, including alleged blocking of content intended to promote Instagram feed updates.
The dispute comes as Brazil prepares for the October 25 runoff against Flávio Bolsonaro, with reporting describing a tight race. Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court is also involved, giving Meta a 48-hour deadline to respond and clarify whether it reduced the distribution of posts from Lula’s campaign.
Outlets note that this is not the first time Meta has faced allegations related to election interference, but they focus on the current complaint and the electoral court’s requirement for Meta to explain its actions during the final phase of the campaign.
