BRAZIL · ELECTIONS
Published Wednesday, 21 October 2026, 11:03 p.m. ET · Source: O Estado de S. Paulo court filing, as reported by Folha de S.Paulo and Terra
Key Facts
- The country Brazil votes in a presidential runoff on Sunday 25 October, Lula against Flávio Bolsonaro.
- What happened A major newspaper asked the electoral court to stop Meta from deleting its election posts.
- The numbers Estadão says at least 31 Instagram posts were removed around the 4 October first round.
- What it asks The paper wants a block on new deletions, system changes and human review.
- Power Index Brazil ranks 1st of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 75.0 points (October 2026 edition).
- Prediction markets Polymarket gives Flávio Bolsonaro a 78.5% chance of winning and Lula 21.5% (21 October, 11:03 p.m. ET). Polymarket puts Flávio Bolsonaro’s chance of winning at 79% and Kalshi at 80% (Lula: 22% and 20%), as of 21 October, 11:00 pm ET; prices are bets, not polls.
- Still open The electoral court has not ruled, and Meta has not publicly answered.
The Brazilian newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo (Estadão) says it has asked the electoral court (TSE) to stop Meta from deleting its election coverage on Instagram and Facebook. The paper says at least 31 of its Instagram posts were removed around the first round of voting on 4 October, in the run-up to the Brazil election 2026.
Brazil Election Data Room
Runoff poll average: Flávio Bolsonaro 51.1%, Lula 48.9%
33 national polls from 19 pollsters since 4 October, updated hourly. Every poll, free to download.
Estadão says Meta blamed improper use of artificial intelligence, which the paper denies. The filing comes four days before the runoff between Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s president, and Flávio Bolsonaro, senator for Rio de Janeiro.
What Estadão Says Meta Removed
At least 31 posts were taken down between the 72 hours before first-round voting and the 24 hours after it, Folha de S.Paulo reported. They included content on voting-intention polls and on elected deputies.
Estadão rejects Meta’s explanation, Folha said. It argues the posts were not electoral propaganda, were not paid promotion and used no synthetic voice or image of candidates or other public figures.
What the Newspaper Asks the Court to Do
Estadão cites TSE Resolution 23.755/2026, which sets the electoral court’s rules on artificial intelligence in campaigns. It argues the bans in that rule did not apply to its posts.
The paper asks the court to block similar deletions, order Meta to adjust its systems and require human review before any removal of its journalism. It filed an urgent preliminary request, Terra reported.
Folha said Meta had not replied to its request for comment. We found no public Meta response in the coverage we reviewed.
Why Platform Rules Matter in the Runoff
Brazil’s electoral court sets limits on artificial intelligence in campaigns, and platforms enforce them by removing content. This case asks whether those systems can wrongly sweep up news posts, such as poll results, that voters read before they vote.
It adds to other disputes between Brazilian authorities and Meta over election content, which we have covered in our report on the prosecutors’ lawsuit. Each case turns on how a US company applies Brazilian election rules.
What It Means for US Readers
Meta is listed in the United States, so legal fights over its moderation in Latin America’s largest country can matter to investors in its shares. They also feed the wider US debate over how platforms treat journalism.
For Americans following the Brazil election polls, the dispute shows how poll coverage reaches Brazilian voters through platforms. Nothing in the filing changes the vote itself.
What Prediction Markets Say
On Polymarket, an online prediction market, bettors give Flávio Bolsonaro a 78.5% chance of winning the 25 October runoff and Lula 21.5% (21 October, 11:03 p.m. ET). The “Brazil Presidential Election” market has drawn about US$191.2 million in total bets.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
Prediction markets · who wins the runoff
Implied chance of winning Brazil’s presidency on 25 October, from traders’ prices.
Polymarket
Flávio Bolsonaro 78.5% · Lula 21.5% (US$191 million traded)
Kalshi (regulated in the US by the CFTC)
Flávio Bolsonaro 80% · Lula 20%
As of 21 October, 11:00 pm ET (04:00 Lisbon), updated every 20 minutes. Prices are bets, not polls, and can move fast.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Known
The electoral court has not said when or how it will rule on the request. It is not known whether Meta has restored any of the 31 posts or what rule it applied.
Meta’s own account of the removals has not been published in the reports we reviewed. Estadão’s description of the posts and of Meta’s reasons is the newspaper’s account.
More: Brazil news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Further reading: our bringing your pet to brazil the complete.
Context: For more on this, see our understanding the brazil political system a guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did a Brazilian newspaper go to the electoral court about Meta?
O Estado de S. Paulo says Meta deleted 31 of its election posts on Instagram. It asks the court to stop further deletions.
What does Estadão want the court to order?
It asks the court to block similar removals, make Meta adjust its systems and require human review before journalism is taken down.
What reason did Meta give for the removals?
Estadão says Meta blamed improper use of artificial intelligence. The newspaper denies it used AI to make the posts.
Has Meta responded to the case?
Folha de S.Paulo said Meta had not answered its request for comment. We found no public Meta response in the coverage we reviewed.
When is Brazil’s runoff election?
Brazilians vote on Sunday 25 October. The runoff is between President Lula and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro.
Sources: Folha de S.Paulo, 21 October 2026; Terra, 21 October 2026.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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