Bolsonaro is Being Disqualified by the Lula Campaign Due to Meta’s Interference
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil: Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s campaign team will seek on Tuesday to disqualify opponent Flavio Bolsonaro over alleged election influence by software firm Meta, a source told AFP.
Lula is running for a fourth non-consecutive term but faces a tough struggle from his right-wing opponent, son of incarcerated former leader Jair Bolsonaro.
Flavio Bolsonaro got 47 percent of the vote in the first round earlier this month against the incumbent’s 45 percent and surveys show a technical tie ahead of Sunday’s runoff.
A campaign source said the petition, to be filed with Brazil’s top electoral court, will allege “algorithmic manipulation” by Meta aimed at hurting Lula’s chances of winning.
The information was initially reported Monday by Brazilian newspaper Folha de S. Paulo.
A court source indicated that Meta and lawyers for the two campaigns will meet Tuesday at the Superior Electoral Court (TSE).
On Monday, the court gave Meta 24 hours to show it was complying with an order to treat both campaigns equally, threatening a fine of about $200,000 a day if it failed to do so.
The injunction follows Lula’s campaign accusing Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, of limiting his internet content to favor Bolsonaro.
The corporation announced on Tuesday that it has finished implementing measures to comply with the Superior Electoral Court’s order.
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