Lula Accuses US Tech Giants of Meddling in Brazil's Election, Vows Tougher Rules

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a historic runoff election on Sunday, then accused US tech giants of meddling in the vote and signaled his new government will pursue tougher regulations on social media platforms. Lula specifically targeted Meta, claiming its platforms favored his rival Flávio Bolsonaro in the final days of the race, citing suppressed progressive content and removed videos. Meta denied the allegations, attributing issues to technical glitches and AI errors. Lula secured 64.2 million votes against Bolsonaro's 59.8 million, a first in Brazilian history after coming second in the opening round. Bolsonaro refused to concede, calling the outcome "unacceptable" and seeking annulment, though electoral court leaders affirmed the result. The win positions Lula as a regional counterweight to the Trump administration, which had sought closer ties with Brazil, while the campaign exposed deep societal divisions expected to persist beyond his January inauguration.