Lula Files Complaint Accusing Meta of Bias for Bolsonaro

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and his campaign filed a complaint with Brazil's Superior Electoral Court accusing Meta of using algorithmic bias to favor right-wing rival Flávio Bolsonaro. The complaint alleges that Meta platforms suppress progressive content, omit activists from search results, and remove critical videos of Bolsonaro without explanation.

Reports from the nonprofit CTRL + Z and the watchdog group Ekō support these claims, asserting that Meta disproportionately restricted pro-Lula content. The groups also claim that shadow accounts were permitted to purchase AI-generated disinformation advertisements. CTRL + Z specifically reported 1,088 cases of electoral censorship and reach restrictions on Meta's platforms.

Meta rejected the allegations, stating it "does not operate its systems to harm or favor candidacies" and attributed the reported issues to technical glitches and unintentional errors. The legal dispute occurs during a tight race where Bolsonaro emerged as the first-round front-runner, following a period of strict social media regulation led by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes.