BRAZIL ELECTION CONTROVERSY DEEPENS AS META FACES QUESTIONS OVER ALLEGED BIAS AGAINST PRESIDENT LULA
Meta is facing escalating scrutiny in Brazil after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s campaign alleged that technical restrictions on Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp disadvantaged his re-election effort while some Meta systems improperly recommended content connected to rival Flávio Bolsonaro. Internal communications reported by Folha showed Meta employees discussing restrictions affecting Lula and inappropriate recommendations involving Bolsonaro, although Meta denies deliberate political bias and says the incidents had separate technical explanations. Brazil’s Superior Electoral Court has now required equal treatment of both campaigns, while Meta says it has implemented 17 measures including rapid human review of automated advertising restrictions ahead of the October 25 runoff.