RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil’s top electoral court on Monday gave US social media giant Meta 24 hours to prove that it was treating President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his right-wing rival Flavio Bolsonaro equally.
The order came after Lula’s campaign alleged that Meta, which owns Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, was suppressing his online content to boost Bolsonaro ahead of Sunday’s run-off election.
Meta has denied taking any action to favour either side in the election, but previously said some of Lula’s campaign advertisements had been mistakenly deactivated due to technical errors that were not limited to Brazil.
Lula’s campaign has also alleged inconsistencies in WhatsApp’s artificial intelligence tool, saying election-related content about Lula had been restricted while content about Bolsonaro remained unaffected.
On Thursday, a judge from the Superior Electoral Court ordered Meta to ensure that the same rules were applied to both candidates throughout the run-off election, among other directives. Non-compliance could initially have resulted in a daily fine of US$100,000.
Monday’s ruling said Meta had failed to demonstrate compliance with the order and increased the penalty to US$200,000 per day, according to a court document seen by AFP.
“The continued non-compliance, just a few days before the run-off election, demonstrates that the fine imposed was insufficient,” it said.
Lula’s political party, which has filed complaints with the Organisation of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, reported fresh technical issues on Monday.
“We hope Meta stops benefiting Flavio Bolsonaro’s campaign,” party communications secretary Eden Valadares told reporters, adding that another complaint would be filed with the electoral court.
Dozens of Lula supporters protested outside the company’s offices in Sao Paulo, holding placards and chanting slogans such as “Meta out of Brazil”.
“I hardly trust anything I see lately” on Meta-run platforms, video animator Lilian Doring, 47, told AFP.
Flavio Bolsonaro, the son of jailed former leader Jair Bolsonaro, is the favourite to win Sunday’s run-off after finishing ahead of his rivals in the first round earlier this month.
On Saturday, his campaign alleged a “negative propaganda offensive” driven by Lula “with the approval” of Meta.
Polls predict a statistical tie between the 45-year-old senator and the current president, who is approaching his 81st birthday.