Brazil Court Orders Meta to Stop Interfering with Political Content After Lula Campaign Complaints

Brazil's electoral court has ordered Meta Platforms Inc. not to interfere with political content distribution after President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's campaign accused the company of "repeatedly and systematically" failing to deliver his content to users, with the UN and US lawmakers also raising concerns. The dispute centers on allegations of unequal audience engagement, restrictions on Instagram posts, and Meta AI refusing to create Lula-related images while generating material favorable to his opponent Flavio Bolsonaro, who is tied with Lula in polls ahead of Sunday's runoff. Meta denies political bias, attributing issues to technical problems. The clash echoes Brazil's 2022 confrontation with Elon Musk's X platform, which was briefly banned in the country. With WhatsApp used by over 90% of Brazilians, Meta's role is significant, though experts doubt the incidents will alter the election outcome given high polarization.