A Brazilian court gave Meta 24 hours to demonstrate that its artificial intelligence systems do not favour either candidate in the upcoming presidential runoff on 25 October. Magistrate Marco Aurelio Bellizze Oliveira signed the order from the Superior Electoral Court.
The mandate requires the company to prove it is not restricting the distribution of political content across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. The campaign of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva alleged that Meta suppressed material beneficial to the incumbent while allowing the spread of hostile AI-generated posts.
Folha de S.Paulo reported internal communications showing Meta employees acknowledged restrictions affecting the accounts of Lula. Those same internal messages indicated that algorithms recommended the WhatsApp channel and profile of Flavio Bolsonaro.
Michel Bertoni argued that unevenly restricting political content compromises electoral regularity and interferes with national sovereignty. Bertoni stated, "These inconsistencies in metrics demand explanations and immediate correction."
Meta denied providing preferential treatment to any candidate before the 25 October vote. The company maintained that its rules apply equally to all political figures and stated that internal discussions focused on the severity of public technical issues rather than political bias.
