Brazil's Electoral Court Orders Meta to Stop Interfering in Election as Lula Campaign Cries Foul

Brazil's electoral court has ordered Meta Platforms Inc. not to interfere with the distribution of political content after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's campaign accused the company of "repeatedly and systematically" failing to deliver his content to users, Bloomberg reported. The dispute has made Meta the new target of leftist ire in Latin America's largest economy, echoing Brazil's earlier clash with Elon Musk's X. Lula has alleged interruptions to his account, restrictions on Instagram posts and unequal audience engagement, and his campaign said Meta AI refused requests to create images related to Lula while generating material favorable to his opponent. Meta pushed back on Oct. 16, calling the incidents unrelated technical problems rather than evidence of political bias, and said it treats all candidates equally. The stakes are high: Lula and right-wing Senator Flávio Bolsonaro are tied in polls ahead of Sunday's runoff. Meta owns WhatsApp, used by more than 90% of Brazilians, alongside Facebook and Instagram. US lawmakers led by Bernie Sanders wrote to CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressing concern about "credible reports" of content suppression.